Patna Diary
More tourists came to Bihar post-prohibition
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recently claimed that the inflow of tourists has gone after the ban on alcohol in the state. “Only 2.89 crore tourists, including 9 lakh foreigners, had arrived in Bihar before the ban on liquor was imposed in 2015. But after the total prohibition from April 5 in 2016, 2.95 crore tourists, including 10.10 lakh foreigners, arrived followed by the arrival of 3.35 crore tourists, including 10.85 lakh foreigners, in 2017,” the CM said. He said 3.47 crore tourists, including 10.88 lakh foreign tourists arrived in Bihar in 2018. “Prohibition has saved around `10,000 crore, which used to be wasted on liquor by those addicted to it,” he said, adding that two lakh people were jailed for violating prohibition rules and 71 cops suspended.
Bihar’s first Bal Mitra Thaana in Purnia
Bihar’s first Bal Mitra Thaana (child-friendly police station) has been started in Purnia district’s Kotwali Police station. This police station has been given a different colour and has books, comics and other things to entertain children. IG (weaker section) Dr Kamal Kishore said: “It is aimed at providing reforms to the juvenile delinquents and children, who come with their parents to the police station.” He said such child-friendly police stations will be opened in eight other districts soon. “A child help desk will also be set up with trained counsellors and policemen,” he said.
ECR to generate power for own need
The East Central Railway (ECR) will save Rs 250 crore per annum towards electricity charges by setting up a power plant with the Bhartiya Rail Bijlee Company Limited. ECR spokesperson Rajesh Kumar said, “The main beneficiary of this power plant will be Ministry of Railways and Bihar with 90% of the power generated at this plant being used by the Indian Railways and 10% by Bihar.” This facility will ensure uninterrupted power supply to Railways in Bihar. The BRBCL is a joint venture of National Thermal Power Corporation and ministry of railways to produce power for railways in Bihar.
Thailand’s mango saplings are bestsellers at Sonepur
Saplings of blue, apple, palmer, black and banana mangoes from Thailand sold like hot cakes in Bihar’s Sonepur fair. Around 5,000 saplings of mangoes varieties were sold between November 12 and 30. Farmers from UP, Bihar and Jharkhand had brought these varieties of foreign mangoes. Ram Vir Kumar Chaurasia, who sold these saplings, said Thailand’s saplings were more in demand than local ones. After Thailand, saplings of India’s Bhastara mangoes were the bestsellers as they bear fruit thrice a year and popular with growers.