Patna Diary: Unaware about revised holidays, says minister

Bihar education minister Prof Chandrashekhar created a flutter in political and academic circles when he claimed that he had no information about slashing of holidays in government schools.

Unaware about revised holidays, says minister
Bihar education minister Prof Chandrashekhar created a flutter in political and academic circles when he claimed that he had no information about slashing of holidays in government schools. When a media channel asked Education Minister Chandrashekhar a question on the issue of holidays, he appeared to be unaware of it.  He said,  “I do not know about this.  I am getting this information from you.  This decision has not been taken at the government level.  If there is something wrong, we will modify it.” Bihar government, on the other hand, clarified that there is no cut in the number of holidays in schools. 

New software launched to track criminals
Bihar Police will now track criminals on the basis of technology.  For this, cops are working on a new software.  With this, local police stations will get information about the criminals as soon as they are released from jail.  At the same time, alerts can be sent to other states regarding members of interstate criminal gangs. Police Headquarters ADG Jitendra Singh Gangwar said Bihar Police is working on Crime (Criminal Multi Agency Centre) software.  Police and related agencies of many states are connected to it.  With the help of this software, information about criminals can be easily shared.

‘No minister took notice of tunnel workers’
Even though Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has no role to play in rescue of workers from the collapsed Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand, family members and close relatives of the workers accused Nitish Kumar-led grand alliance government of utter neglect. Five workers from the state were among 41 others rescued after enduring 17-day ordeal. The relatives said that no officer or politician from ruling dispensation in Bihar bothered to visit them or take notice of their plight. RJD chief, on his return from New Delhi, said that PM Modi was falsely staking claim over rescue of the workers trapped under tunnel. 

Ramashankar
Our correspondent in Bihar
ramashankar@newindianexpress.com