Page 6 - Bihar

Bihar govt issues order to conduct random Covid-19 tests at crowded places

Conforming to the Centre's advisory, random Covid tests will be conducted at airports, railway stations and bus stands of Bihar, state health officials said on Thursday

New Bihar DGP RS Bhatti asks officials to control crime or face action

Bhatti gave a clear message to every state police personnel to control crime in their respective jurisdictions or he will take action against them

UTs top performer in Social Progress Index; Bihar, Jharkhand at bottom

Puducherry has the highest SPI score of 65.99 in the country, attributable to its remarkable performance across components like Personal Freedom and Choice, Shelter, and Water and Sanitation

Illegal liquor: Consumption may be up, but deaths show the opposite trend

India has a higher per capita consumption of illegal liquor than most countries in the neighbourhood

Pathetic law and order responsible for Saran liquor tragedy: Giriraj Singh

BJP's firebrand leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh has said that the Saran liquor tragedy took place due to the pathetic law and order situation in Bihar

Police launch 'Operation Clean Drive' after hooch deaths in Bihar's Chhapra

Amid the hooch deaths in Bihar's Chhapra, with the toll currently at 72, the Saran Police on Monday launched Operation 'Clean Drive' against the sale and consumption of alcohol in the state

Bihar hooch tragedy: Sobering reality of missing liquor policy

Based on latest available data, of the 947 deaths due to spurious liquor in 2020, a majority were in Madhya Pradesh (214), Jharkhand (139), and Punjab (133)

Bihar Congress defers launch of state-wide padayatra to January 5

The Bihar Congress on Sunday deferred the launch of its state-wide padayatra on the lines of the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' to January 5 next year and said AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge will start the foot march from Banka district. Earlier, Kharge was supposed to launch the state-wide 1200-km march on December 28. Bihar Congress spokesperson Asit Tiwary told reporters that now the "padayatra would be launched by all India Congress committee president Mallikarjun Kharge on January 5, not on December 28 as announced earlier". He, however, did not mention any reason for the deferment of the foot march. All the district units have been informed about the change of the schedule of the long march, he said. Besides the main 3,570-km Kanyakumari to Kashmir yatra, the Congress is organising several sub-marches in states from where the main foot march will not pass. When the state-wide yatra will reach Patna, a rally will be organised which will be addressed by either Sonia Gandhi or Priyank

Reading the tea leaves in Bihar amid political pulls and pressures

Separated by age, experience and politics, yet joined by a shared purpose: taking on BJP in 2024. Satyavrat Mishra analyses the political pulls and pressures in the state

Nitish Kumar needs glue that holds a divided Opposition together in Bihar

He has got the backing of his party to push ahead with Opposition unity. But that may not be enough

Fumes of failure

Prohibition is damaging Bihar in multiple ways

NHRC "independently" decided to probe Chhapra hooch tragedy: Nityanand Rai

As the death toll in Bihar's Chhapra due to the consumption of spurious liquor mounted to 72, Union Minister Nityanand Rai on Sunday accused the state government of "hiding" the actual number

No need to wait till 2025, Nitish should make Tejashwi Bihar CM now: Kishor

Kishor said, "Nitish has announced to contest elections under Tejashwi's leadership. He has accepted the fact that the election cannot be won on his face or by his party JD(U) "

Bihar hooch tragedy: Eight more die in two other districts; over 30 dead

Close on the heels of the hooch tragedy in dry Bihar that left 30 people dead in Saran district, eight more died allegedly after consuming some spurious liquor in two other districts, officials said on Saturday. Six people died in Siwan district adjoining Saran, while Begusarai witnessed two other deaths. Unconfirmed reports claimed that up to 60 people died by drinking illicitly brewed country liquor in Saran district. Even the official toll of 30 there is the biggest since Bihar went dry more than six years ago. About the six deaths in Bhagwanpur division of Siwan district since Thursday, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Sanjay Kumar said the administration has initiated an investigation. We are also carrying searches in the area to nab those who indulge in the sale and purchase of liquor, Kumar said. On the Begusari incident, Deputy Superintendent of Police Chandramohan Prasad told reporters that two youths died after consuming some poisonous chemical in Teghra division on Friday. W

Bihar BJP leaders visit Saran, Kishore says spirit seized by police used

'It is a big proof that the entire incident was executed in well-planned manner and local police were involved in it'

SC directs UPSC, Bihar Govt to finalise Director-General of Police

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the Bihar Government to finalise expeditiously the name of the Director-General of Police (DGP) of the state

NHRC notice to Bihar govt, state police chief over Saran hooch tragedy

The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Bihar government and the state's police chief over the Saran hooch tragedy in which at least 30 people have died, officials said on Friday. The sale and consumption of alcohol was completely banned in Bihar in April 2016, though its "implementation has been patchy," the NHRC observed in a statement. The Saran hooch tragedy toll rose to 30 on Friday, the biggest since Bihar went dry more than six years ago, and it continued to cast a shadow on the state legislature where BJP members disrupted proceedings in both Houses before staging a Raj Bhavan march. However, unconfirmed reports claimed up to 50 people died by drinking illicitly brewed country liquor. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has "taken suo motu cognisance of the media reports that several people have died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Saran district of Bihar," it said. The commission has observed that the contents of the media repor

2 more deaths reported in Bihar hooch tragedy; toll in Saran rises to 28

The Bihar hooch tragedy toll climbed to 28 with two more deaths reported, a top Saran district official said. Saran District Magistrate Rajesh Meena told PTI, "The suspected hooch death has increased to 28 (till Thursday night) in the district". The DM said that action has also been initiated against officials concerned. "We have also conducted intensive raids across the district in the last 48 hours and nabbed 126 hooch traders. More than 4,000 litres of illicit liquor have also been seized," he told reporters on Thursday. Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar, had declined to divulge whether the arrested persons included those directly involved in the latest hooch case, saying that "the matter is still under investigation and disclosing much at this stage could hamper the probe". "For speedy investigation, an SIT consisting of 31 police officials, headed by an additional SP and including three deputy SPs, has also been set up", the district magistrate had said. The DM and the

Bihar govt 'committing massacre' through liquor ban, says BJP leader

With the toll in the Saran liquor tragedy at 39, Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly Vijay Kumar Sinha targeted Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, accusing his govt of "committing a massacre"

Whoever drinks will die, says Nitish Kumar after hooch toll rises to 26

After Bihar's hooch toll climbed to 26, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday warned that if people drink spurious liquor, they will die, as the prohibition policy of his government came under attack from left, right and centre. Political strategist turned activist Prashant Kishor described the state's prohibition law as a farce and demanded scrapping of the prohibition law. "Jo piyega woh marega" (those who drink spurious alcohol will die), thundered Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who stood his ground maintaining that prohibition was not my personal wish but a response to the cries of the women of the state. He also expressed displeasure over criticisms from the opposition BJP which has raised the issue even inside Parliament. Civil surgeon and medical officer in charge Dr Sagar Dulal Sinha said deaths were being reported from those homes in affected villages where a family member falling ill after consuming intoxicants was not reported out of fear of landing on the wrong sid