BIHAR

The states art, culture and youth affairs department has set up a pavilion at the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) organised by National Film Development Corporation in Goa. The pavilion ExploreBihar was inaugurated by Bollywood actorPankaj Tripathion Monday in the presence of departments secretaryBandana Preyashi.

Tripathi said, Having beautiful landscape and virgin locations offer vast potential for film making in the state. It is great to see Bihar Pavilion at IFFI, the state should have participated earlier in the Film Bazar.

He was briefed by Preyashi regarding the immense film-making potential in the state. She also talked about the recent initiatives taken by Bihar government, the improved security scenario, rapid connectivity thereby attracting film in the state.

The had announced paddy procurement on November 1 through PACS (primary Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture Cooperative Societies) at the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs1940-Rs1960 per quintal, but the farmers are forced to sell their produce at a throwaway price in several blocks of the district.

The delay has forced the farmers in the district to sell their produce at Rs1,100-1,200 per quintal to the middlemen and arhatiyas as small and marginal farmers dont have storage facilities. Traders and middlemen are making Money by selling the same produce (obtained from farmers) to PACS at MSP.

Union Food Processing ministerPashupati Kumar Parason Friday proposed to set up a food processing institute- National Institute ofFood Technology Entrepreneurshipand Management (NIFTEM) inBiharand sought land from state industries department for it.

Welcoming the proposal, state minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said all required steps will be taken for the establishment of NIFTEM in Bihar.

Along with other issues, it was decided that a high-level meeting would be held soon at Patna between the union ministry of food processing and state industries department. A food processing conclave will also be organized at Patna in the presence of top industrialists of the sector.

The state cabinet approved the governments proposal to pay compensation worth Rs650 crore to farmers against crop damages they suffered due to floods, excess rainfall and waterlogging, besides the ex gratia payment of Rs50,000 to the next of kin of each of around 10,000 persons, who succumbed to the Covid-19 infection this year.

The cabinet also sanctioned the transfer of Rs336.75 crore toAirports Authority of India(AAI) for expenditure on the acquisition of 78 acre land required for the construction of civil enclave and its running at Darbhanga airport.

The had earlier transferred Rs121.43 crore to AAI for the acquisition of 31 acre land in this regard. While the estimated compensation for the acquisition of 78 acre land has been computed to be Rs336.75 crore, the chunk of Rs121.43 crore transferred earlier will be adjusted. Accordingly, the remaining net transfer of Money to be made to AAI is Rs215.32 crore,

The proposal was moved by the road construction department. The project involves bitumen and PCC works, construction of culverts, drain, safety points, underpass, road overbridge (ROB) and elevated structure.

With regard to another proposal moved by the road construction department, the cabinet sanctioned Rs210.13 crore for the construction of approach road cum two-lane bridge on river Sone near Panduka in Rohtas district. This bridge will connect to Jharkhand near Japla town.

Besides, the cabinet also sanctioned the release of state share worth Rs38.17 crore for the construction of a road overbridge between Danapur and Neura RAILWAY stations. The total expenditure on the ROB is Rs60.80 crore.

State development commissioner Vivek Kumar Singh called upon investors in IT (information technology) and electronics sector from across the country to invest inBiharwhich has encouraging policies and the largest pool of skilled and unskilled labour.

Singh was speaking at an investors meet for IT, ITES and electronics system design and manufacturing sectors organized by the state department of industries and information technology department in New Delhi.

Singh said many policies, including Bihar Biofuels Production Promotion Policy, 2023 and Bihar Industrial Promotion (Leather and Textile) Policy, 2022 have been formulated by the department to increase investment and establish new industries.

Experts said Bihar can become a hub of information technology, Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) and electronic system design and production. Bihar has a huge pool of technically skilled youth. B-Hub has been created for the development of startups in Bihar, where 162 of them are working together. Bihar’s ecosystem is quite conducive for the development of IT industries, Poundrik said.Secretary (information technology) Santosh Kumar Mall said Bihar is becoming a favourite state for investors. Due to the efforts made by the industries department, it has become very easy to set up industries in Bihar. State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) meeting is being held regularly and land is also allotted within a week.

Minimum 33.3% seats in the Bihars firstsports universitywould be reserved for girls.
Chief ministerNitish Kumar asked the art, culture and youth departments officials to make necessary statutory provisions in the rules of the proposed Sports university to reserve minimum 33.3% (one-third) seats for Women at the time of admission in the varsity.

Once started, the Bihar Sports University would be the first sports university in the state and the eighth such university in the country. The states likePunjab,Rajasthan,Gujarat,Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Nadu already have sports universities while Manipur has the countrys first central sports university, named as National Sports University.