Furore over backwardness blame on Bihar
When Bihar was busy celebrating the 160th anniversary of the victory day of Babu Kunwar Singh, the local hero of the country’s first war of independence in 1857, the collective sense of pride was punctured by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant’s remarks. He said states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were keeping India backward, especially on social indicators. The remarks raised eyebrows and evoked sharp reactions from politicians cutting across party lines. Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed Kant and said his remarks exposed the “babus’ mentality”. Yadav also flayed Bihar’s ruling JD(U) and BJP, who have together ruled the state for nearly a decade. Two days after Kant’s comments, CM Nitish Kumar finally said Bihar was making rapid progress through its own resources even though it needs more support.
Patna to have a new collectorate building
Work on construction of a new, multi-storey building of Patna collectorate is set to begin in June. District administration officials are working overtime to shift the offices of various departments from the existing 200-year-old collectorate complex near Gandhi Maidan on the banks of the Ganga to other places in the city. The entire shifting process is being videographed to ensure that important documents are not lost or misplaced. The state government had decided in 2016 to dismantle the existing British era structures to make space for a modern building. The new, six-storey building would be built on a 3.5 lakh square feet area. The state government had sanctioned Rs 186.42 crore for the new building last month. The tender process is underway, and it would take 20 months for the new building to be completed.
Coconut water, buttermilk for chimpanzees at Patna Zoo
With summer arriving in full force, the authorities of Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, better known as Patna Zoo, have put in place a range of facilities to give the animals and birds relief from the heat. Coolers and fans have been fixed in the enclosures of the animals, and pools around the enclosures of tigers are being continually replenished with water to let them enjoy dips. Zoo officials said glucose and electrolytes are being mixed with the water given to the animals and birds to drink in order to keep them hydrated. Two chimpanzees, Subadhra and Kartik, are being givenspecial care. The zoo staff are regularly giving them coconut water and buttermilk to keep them hydrated. Bears in the zoo are being fed honey as it keeps the body cool despite the summer heat.
Tough time for builders as RERA heat rises
Since the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA), 2016 came into effect, builders in Bihar have been scrambling to comply with the provisions of the law. With the formation of (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) of Bihar earlier this month, the developers are required to get permanent authorisation before advertising their projects, entering into agreements with customers and accepting money from them. Show-cause notices were issued to 14 developers in Bihar, two from West Bengal and one from Delhi for advertising their project without getting registered under the law. For a developer to advertise their projects anywhere in India (except in Jammu and Kashmir), they have to first register with RERAand acquire a number. Advertisements issued by the erring developers did not carry RERA numbers.