BIHAR

The state cabinet sanctioned the release of Rs 29 crore for the implementation of schemes to be taken up under integratedTharuhatdevelopment project in West Champaran district during the current financial year.

Additional chief secretary,cabinet secretariat department, S Siddharth said the cabinet also approved the extension of the scheme till 2024-25 financial year.
The cabinet gave its nod to the release of Rs 41 crore for the execution of the certification programme during the current fiscal in the state’s organic corridor that passes through 13 districts. Besides, the period of the scheme has been extended to 2024-25, involving utilisation of Rs 104 crore.

The cabinet approved the allotment of Rs 416 crore for industrial area development, of which Rs 195 crore will be made available through supplementary budget for utilisation during the current financial year.

The cabinet also sanctioned the government’s proposal to give special remission in the prison terms of convicted persons on the occasion of Republic Day and Independence Day every year.

The state cabinet on Wednesday approved the governments proposal to establish solar power Plants at Kajra in Lakhisarai and Pirpainty in Bhagalpur district on the land earlier acquired for the thermal power plants.

The proposal for integrated development of 20 towns and their allied rural areas was also approved. The towns concerned are Buxar, Kishanganj, Katihar, Sasaram, Dehri, Motihari, Aurangabad, Hajipur, Jamui, Siwan, Bettiah, Bagaha, Lakhisarai, Khagaria, Araria, Forbesganj, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Bhabhua and Sheohar.
In yet another decision, the government will transfer 200.02 acres of land at Darbhanga to the Centre for the construction of Aiims there. The land is located in Darbhanga Sadar and Bahadurpur circles.

The cabinet cleared the proposal to calculate the earned leave of government employees, who retired between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021, at the enhanced rate of dearness allowance. As per the revised payscale, the increase in the DA will be from 28% to 31% effective from July 1, 2021.

The cabinet cleared the release of Rs2.90 crore for the purchase of eight new vehicles for use in the Patna . Besides, it also cleared Rs 1.13 crore for the purchase of six vehicles for use by the Speaker, deputy Speaker of the assembly, as well as the whips.

Bihar State Cooperative Bank has been authorized to raise Rs5,000 crore from NABARD pertaining to the Kharif Marketing season of 2021-22 and the Rabi marketing season of 2022-23. Similarly, Bihar Sate Food and Civil Supplies Corporation has been allowed to raise Rs9,000 crore from Commercial Banks and NABARD as its WORKING CAPITAL in connection with the kharif marketing season 2021-22 and procurement of paddy.

Bihargovernment is actively pursuing the target of net zero carbon level a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the by the year 2040. Significant progress has been made so far in this direction through field visits, data collection and assessment, the Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) chairman Ashok Kumar Ghosh said.

A final report comprising policy-level recommendations for achieving the desired results will be submitted to the State Government by March next year.

Later, several other agencies working in the Environment conservation sector, includingShakti Foundation, WRI-India and CEEW were also associated with the project as partner organisations.

Bihar, as per its Health , is languishes last among all states and Union Territories, as per the latest report on health infrastructure at the district level, published by NITI Aayog.

As per the report, prepared with the help of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry and WHO India, Bihar has just six hospital beds for one lakh Population as against the national standard of 24 beds per one lakh population. Puducherry tops the list with 222 beds per one lakh population.

he waste incinerator would be useful at a time when the problems associated with handling and disposing biomedical waste are exacerbated due to the Covid-19 pandemic in small towns and villages that do not have access to central biomedical waste treatment facilities.

This is a pilot project with portable, forced draft incinerator capable of handling 50 kg per hour of biomedical waste with the provision of waste heat recovery. It can process waste made of , plastic, or similar materials in a batch of 5 kg. The unit requires a 2 sq mt area and only 0.6 kWh electricity for initial ignition of the waste with an option of auto electricity turn-off.

The technology was selected through the Biomedical Waste Treatment Innovation Challenge launched in June 2020 by the ‘Waste to Wealth’ mission.

The state cabinet approvedBihar Biofuels Production Promotion Policy, 2023, which will pave the way for production of compressed biogas (CBG) apart from ethanol in the state. Firms or individuals interested in setting up CBG units in Bihar can start applying for taking the benefits of the new policy after its notification and till June 30 next year.

CBG is produced from and waste sources like agricultural residue, cattle dung, sugar cane press mud, municipal solid waste and sewage treatment plant waste among others. As per Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) Scheme of the Centre, CBG has properties almost similar to CNG. Hence, a vehicle running on CNG can be filled with CBG without any modification.

C BG consists of methane (90%) and other gases like carbon dioxide (less than 4%). The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, through a gazette notification in June, 2015, has permitted CBG for motor vehicles as CNG alternative. SATAT envisages setting up 5,000 CBG units in the country by 2024-25.

As per a study by IIT Guwahati, India has potential to produce 80,000 tonnes per day of compressed biogas, replacing 50% of the current diesel use in transport. Under the Ethanol Production Promotion Policy, 2021, incentives were being given to the units producing ethanol only.

Theeducationdepartment launched a fortnight-long state-level “Praveshotsava” (enrolment festival) in a big way. The campaign is aimed at ensuring 100% enrolment of boys and girls passing Class VIII examination into Class IX of their respective schools.

The minister said Education department officials would accompany the education rath and there would also be some cultural artists who will attract students towards schools by motivating their guardians.

He appealed to the officials to organise the enrolment festival sincerely from July to 15 so that not a single student who has passed Class VIII examination this year is dropped.

State Health ministerMangal Pandey saidRT-PCRlabs would be set up at all thesadar hospitalsin the state soon to conduct Covid tests.

The minister, who inaugurated an RT-PCR lab at Siwan sadar hospital, said Siwan was the 10th district in the state to get the facility. At least 96 samples can be tested at a time and 1,000 samples in a day at the lab. While there was just one virology lab in the country before Covid-19 pandemic, it has crossed 2,500-mark now, he said.

The minister said health facilities in the state were being strengthened to face any upcoming challenges. Apart from medical colleges and hospitals, modern equipment are being installed even at public health centres in the state, the minister said.