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Bihar

  • Black fever in Bihar: Experiences and responses

    This is an investigation into how serious the kala-azar (visceral leishmaniasis) situation was in colonial Bihar, what the government's policy was to control it and how the people responded to it. Until 1903, medical men had little idea about the true nature of this disease, which spread rapidly in the wake of the opening up of communication by rail and road. British medical intervention against kala-azar succeeded only in 1919 with the introduction of the antimony treatment.

  • Still in troubled waters

    At the time of destructive floods, the distress of affected people attracts attention but, unfortunately, as soon as the flood waters recede they are forgotten.

  • Reality check

    This is the India that exists only in the Planning Commission

  • Taxing prices

    It is high time Parliament took serious note of the sordid story of the unwarranted hike in the prices of petroleum products.

  • Shivaliks worst affected by soil erosion

    Shivalik hills of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh are among the 107 million hectares in the country worst affected by soil erosion, resulting in continuous and gradual depletion of fertility and

  • Emergency drive to contain polio strain

    The health ministry is planning an emergency mop-up operation that will vaccinate three lakh children living in and around Kirti Nagar against polio to contain further spread of the deadly P1 strain of the virus in Delhi. The decision was taken after the country's first PI strain of wild polio virus sprung up this year from Darbangia Colony in Kirti Nagar. Since this is the first P1 polio case in Delhi after August 2006, which had made officials declare the city free of the virus last year, shocked state polio eradication experts have now identified 2,500 high risk clusters, mostly occupied by migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

  • Bihar likely source of polio virus in Capital

    Officials with the National Polio Surveillance Programme today said the first polio case detected in the Capital this year could have come from Bihar. The 14-month-old Baby Gulnaaz from Kirti Nagar was detected with the P1 strain poliovirus, known for its propensity to cause large outbreaks. According to government records, Gulnaaz was taken to Moti Nagar Colony Hospital on February 15 when it was found that her right limb was immobile. "She had high fever and investigations confirmed that she has polio. Though we are yet to do any genetic analysis, it seems that that the virus has travelled from Bihar,' said a senior official with the National Polio Surveillance Programme. Till date this year, 106 polio cases have been isolated in India but all of them have been P3 strains. This is the first P1 polio case in Delhi after August 2006. The neighbouring cities of Ghaziabad and Faridabad have been put on high alert, the official said. "If such a case is reported from an area, what follows is an immunisation drive. The government will try to do that as soon as possible,' a Delhi government official said. In the present case, the patient is a resident of Darbhanga jhuggis, a slum populated mostly by migrant labourers from Bihar. Officials said Gulnaaz was administered 11 doses of polio vaccine in the last two national immunisation rounds in January and February this year. While Delhi recorded seven cases of polio P1 virus in 2006, the state government had last year, claimed the Capital was free of the P1 virus. However, there has been an outbreak of the dreaded P1 virus in Bihar this year with 83 cases being reported from the state. Gulnaaz's family reportedly came to the Capital from Bihar six months back. With focus on the polio scare in the country, particularly in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Finance Minister P Chidambaram allocated Rs 1,042 crore for a revised strategy on the crippling disease. India recorded 864 cases in 2007 as against 676 cases the previous year. The poliovirus enters the body through the mouth when people eat food or drink water contaminated with faeces. The virus then multiplies in the intestine, enters the bloodstream and may invade certain types of nerve cells, which it can damage or destroy.

  • NTPC's Bihar project

    NTPC Ltd plans to spend about Rs 7,341 crore for setting up the second phase of Barh super thermal power project in Bihar. "The company has accorded the investment approval for Barh Super Thermal Power Project, Stage-II (2 X 660 MW) in Bihar at an appraised estimated current cost of Rs 7,341 crore,' it said in a filing to Bombay Stock Exchange. The first stage consisting of three units of 660 MW each is under implementation.

  • Wild polio virus strain claims 1st victim in city

    This year's first P1 wild polio virus strain has been isolated in Delhi. Fourteen-month-old Gulnaz from Darbangia colony in Kirti Nagar area is the victim. Daughter of a rickshawpuller, the girl's family migrated from Bihar just six months ago. She was supposedly administered 10 doses of oral polio vaccine in the last two national immunization rounds in January and February this year. Till now this year, 106 polio cases have been isolated in India but all of them have been P3 strains. This is the first P1 polio case in Delhi after August 2006. P1 has been India's major enemy with the global advisory committee on polio giving top priority to its eradication. The Union health ministry successfully contained its spread in 2007 with just 36 cases. For the first time since 1999, the number of P3 cases had outnumbered the number of infections caused by P1 strain. P1 travels faster and infects more children, which is why the emphasis was on eradicating type 1 first. P3 is a very slow moving virus with low virulence. P1 causes paralysis in one out of every 200 children, as compared to P3, which causes paralysis in one out of every 1,000 infections. Health ministry sources told TOI that a polio vaccination round is scheduled to take place in Delhi this month. But states can undertake an emergency mopup operation whenever a P1 strain crops up. Polio has been crippling India, with 864 cases in 2007 compared to 676 cases in 2006. This made finance minister P Chidambaram allocate Rs 1,042 crore just for polio in the Union Budget for 2008-09, most of which will be spent to contain the virus in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Bihar, which reported 193 fresh cases of the crippling disease in 2007, has been exporting polio strains across India. An alarmed health ministry has now marked 72 blocks in Bihar as high risk. These blocks or the ones adjacent to them accounted for three-fourths of the total polio cases in the state in the past five years. In 2007, 90% of P1 cases were found in these blocks. According to experts, polio immunisation activities are being intensified in these blocks. A special immunization drive was conducted on January 13 in these 72 blocks. A ministry official told TOI:

  • State Pulse: Bihar: New face of Bihar

    I will stop the migration of Bihari labourers. In future, nobody will go to other states at least to fulfill the requirement of bread and butter: CM - report of Satish K Singh Now, every road of Bihar goes towards development. In every sector process of transformation is going on. Face of Bihar is changing rapidly. Citizens of Bihar are presently daring to think about daydream. You just look at some of the latest developments which are spreading its wings all over Bihar. The Nitish govt is going to provide over 24,000 dwellings to the urban poor in the ten towns of the state soon. The basic services for urban poor (BSUP) scheme under JNNURM envisages provision of 14,592 dwelling units with amenities, including light and clean environment for the urban poor. The units will be constructed in cooperation with the Centre, the state govt and Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC). Urban Development Minister Ashwini Kumar Chaubey on Feb 11 launched the first phase of the project at Mundichak in Bhagalpur. The project will be launched at Jagdeopath in Patna soon. Hudco will construct 12,596 units at an estimated cost of Rs 313 crore in Patna agglomeration area including Patna, Phulwarisharif, Danapur and Khagaul. Another 2000 housing units will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 54 crore at Bodh Gaya. Raj Bhavan will soon adopt 1000 children of Musahar community in Bhojpur and Bhagalpur dist for imparting education to them in the nearest schools and colleges besides providing them food and clothes. These children will be educated under the supervision of the universities located in those areas localities while some NGOs would extend help in different forms. People of Bihar irrespective of age and profession would soon get an opportunity to express their innovative ideas and highlight researches at five day festival to be organized in Patna University. Aimed at developing a: Discovery Park: in the state, the creativity festival would be open to all-from school teachers, professionals of organized and unorganized sectors, farmers, technicians and scientists who want to bring to light their works and ideas in different fields. Cultural programme between Bihar and Mauritius has ended recently. PM of Mauritius Navin Ramgoolam had come to Bihar for this purpose. Basically he belongs to Bihar. Now, Navin is also ready to invest a lot of money for the development of industries in Bihar. A few days ago, NRIs meet was organised at Shri Krishna Memorial Hall, Patna. A number of NRIs want to invest in Bihar. Recently, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said, I will stop the migration of Biharis labours. In future, nobody will go to other states at least to fulfill the requirement of bread and butter. The 40-year-old Lok Sabha member from Madhepura, Pappu Yadav symbolized money and brute muscle power got life term for Ajit Sarkar murder case. The special court awarded the same sentence to a former MLA from Govindganj in East Champaran district, Rajan Tiwari and history-sheeter Anil Yadav for the killing in Purnea. With the signing of an agreement between the NTPC and BSEB on Feb 14 for the Bihar Bijli Company, Nabinagar, the process for establishment of 1980 MW thermal power plant in Aurangabad district has begun. The bipartite agreement for the super project with an estimated cost of 9,000 crore was signed in the presence of CM Nitish Kumar and NTPC Chairman-Cum-MD T Sankarlingam and energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav. Announcement of opening of new Medical, Engineering, Agriculture and ITI colleges/institutes are signs of change in Bihar. Opening of new ordnance factory at Rajgir in Nalanda district, renovation of sugar mills in north Bihar and renovation of all closed industries are also indications of transformation taking place in Bihar. Perhaps due to this, the Bihar govt's thrust on reforms and good governance has been appreciated by the World Bank and ADB, which promised the CM to extend financial assistance in terms of loans and grants in the sectors of road construction, power, Panchayati Raj institutions and tourism. The state govt has sought assistance for construction of Panchayat Bhavans in all 8712 gram panchayats to strengthen the panchayati raj instiutions. The govt also asked for monetary support from the JVIC to build an expressway between Patna, Gaya and also develop tourist spots coming under the Buddhist circuit. In this connection Nitish has demanded enough funds from the Centre for the all-round development of Bihar. With a view to link 10,000 inaccessible villages with roads in the state by March 2009, the government has strengthened the Rural Development Department by transferring under it several circles and divisions from other depts. In fact Bihar has a vast reservoir of talent and there was need for their exposure. If this pace of reforms is carried in the near future too, undoubtedly Bihar will be richest state of the country once again.

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