Rare cobra carcass recovered
The carcass of a rare 10-year-old 6.4-feet-long cobra was recovered from an under-construction site at Hajipur and put in a laboratory by the volunteers of The TrickyRescuers. “This was the longest recovery of this year and a cobra of such huge length is rarely found, at least in urban or semi-urban areas,” said Aditya Vaibhav of TTR. The carcass has made for a fascinating study at the Patna Science College’s zoological laboratory. The Indian cobra inhabits a wide range of habitats and can be found in dense or open forests, plains, agricultural lands, rocky terrain and wetlands.
CM writes to defence ministry not to shift OTA
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recently wrote to the Defence Ministry requesting them not to shut down the Gaya-based Officers Training Academy (OTA). The Army had sent a proposal to the Defence Ministry for shutting down the academy in view of it functioning “below its capacity”. The proposal is said to have received the ministry’s nod. “It would be very inappropriate to close the Officers’ Training Academy at Gaya. This wrong decision by Ministry of Defence is against the state’s interest and it would be a gross injustice to the people of Bihar,” Kumar added. The CM also said that the OTA has not only provided employment opportunities in the region but also contributed towards the economy and a sense of security in the area.
4-day road congress held in Patna
Stressing on the need to adopt new eco-friendly technologies in road construction, over 150 experts shared their expertise at a four-day Indian Road Congress (IRC). It was held after a decade in Patna by the road construction wing from December 19 to 22. CM Nitish Kumar, accompanied by deputy CM SK Modi, asked experts to innovate eco-friendly technologies for all-weather roads in Bihar, which faces floods regularly. Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi said experts should focus on latest innovations in road design.
SSB unit wins ‘Best Operational Battalion’ award
The Patna frontier of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) won this year’s Best Operational Battalions, award in overall seizures and internal security from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the 56th Raising Day at New Delhi. IG of Patna frontier of SSB Sanjay Kumar received it with two other trophies for the best performance in narcotics and revenue and relief operations. Recently, Sanjay Kumar has also given away the awards to 91 personnel, including some officials for their extraordinary performances in Patna.