Bihar CM calls Nishant Kumar ‘brother’; announces state’s tallest Sardar Patel statue

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Patna, Oct 31 (IANS) The 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, observed as National Unity Day, at Bapu Sabhagar in Patna on Saturday turned into an occasion for both paying tribute to the Iron Man of India and highlighting the Bihar government’s political and development agenda.

The event, attended by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Health Minister Nishant Kumar, several other ministers, MLAs and public representatives, drew attention when the Chief Minister made a light-hearted remark to Nishant, advising him to eat properly and put on some weight.

Addressing the Health Minister, Samrat said the two would work together like “brothers” to take Bihar forward.

The remark assumes political significance amid discussions over Nishant Kumar’s role and his political standing since taking charge of the Health Department.

The Chief Minister paid tribute to Sardar Patel, recalling his decisive role in integrating the princely states after Independence and laying the foundation for a united India.

“After Independence, he undertook the historic task of integrating the princely states and binding India together. Had it not been for Sardar Patel, the creation of today’s vast and united India would have been difficult,” Samrat said.

He announced that Bihar would install the country’s tallest statue of Sardar Patel, describing it as a tribute to the leader’s contribution to national unity.

He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was taking forward Patel’s vision through the resolve to build a developed India.

Samrat also reiterated the government’s promise to provide one crore jobs and outlined an ambitious roadmap for improving healthcare services in Bihar.

He said the state aimed to become one of the country’s leading states in healthcare within the next four years.

For this, district and sub-divisional hospitals would be strengthened so that patients could receive treatment and undergo surgeries closer to home instead of being unnecessarily referred to major hospitals.

Recalling the earlier situation, he said hospitals such as PMCH and IGIMS often faced heavy patient loads, while people had to struggle to secure admission for treatment.

The government, he said, wanted to change this pattern by expanding medical facilities at the district level.

The target is to increase surgical capacity in district and sub-divisional hospitals to one lakh operations a month.

A significant part of Samrat’s address was devoted to former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who could not attend the programme.

The Chief Minister praised Nitish’s contribution to Bihar’s development, particularly improvements in roads, electricity, healthcare and education after 2005.

He also acknowledged the role of former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi in the state’s transformation.

Health Minister Nishant Kumar also spoke about Nitish Kumar’s tenure and his contribution to Bihar.

The programme thus combined a tribute to Sardar Patel with the government’s commitments on employment, healthcare and development, as it outlined priorities for the coming years.

–IANS

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Domestic airlines to operate more flights from Gulf on Wed as govt keeps close watch

New Delhi, March 11 (IANS) Indian carriers are set to operate more flights from the war-affected Gulf region on Wednesday, as the government is keeping a close watch on the ongoing developments in the West Asia region and its possible implications for air travel between India and the region.

Operational plans of airlines indicate that Air India and Air India Express will operate flights to Riyadh starting March 12, while Indigo will commence Mumbai–Riyadh–Mumbai services from the same date.

“SpiceJet has been facilitated to obtain alternate airport approvals to ensure continued operational safety and flexibility in the region. Akasa Air has been advised to align its planned commencement of Mumbai-Riyadh-Mumbai services with prevailing operational conditions which is scheduled to begin operations from 12th March 2026,” Civil Aviation Ministry said in a statement.

Air India and Air India Express will together operate a total of 58 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from the West Asia region on March 11.

The two carriers continue to operate their respective scheduled services to and from Jeddah and Muscat on March 11, operate a total of 8 flights to and from Jeddah, and Air India Express operating 14 scheduled flights to and from Muscat, according to the airline.

Operational data for March 9 indicates that 45 inbound flights operated by Indian carriers arrived in India from West Asia, carrying 7,407 passengers.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu is continuously overseeing the situation and maintaining direct engagement with all relevant stakeholders to ensure quick and coordinated responses.

“Airlines are making appropriate operational arrangements in response to the evolving situation, with passenger safety and continuity of services remaining the primary considerations,” said the ministry.

The DGCA has coordinated with relevant authorities to facilitate additional arrival and departure slots and to permit the use of Muscat International Airport as an enroute alternate airport for flights to/from destinations including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras-al-Khaimah, Al-Alan, Fujairah, Sharjah, Jeddah and Medinah.

The ministry said it is maintaining regular coordination with airlines and other concerned stakeholders to ensure that passenger movement continues in an orderly manner.

Airfares are also being closely monitored to ensure that ticket prices remain reasonable and that there is no undue surge during this period.

Passengers are advised to remain in contact with their respective airlines for the latest updates regarding flight timings and travel arrangements. The Ministry will continue to review the situation and provide further information as necessary.

–IANS

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Pune bridge collapse deaths crime of culpable homicide, says Uddhav Thackeray in Saamana

Mumbai, June 17 (IANS) The Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena on Tuesday led a scathing attack against the Mahayuti government over the death of four tourists and injuries to 51 others in the Pune bridge collapse, saying that people with cruel hearts are ruling Maharashtra and the deaths of tourists due to the government’s inaction to repair the dilapidated bridge was a crime of culpable homicide.

The Thackeray camp in the party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ alleged that the chief minister’s move to offer condolences, announce a compensation to the heirs of the deceased and the inquiry into the incident are a sham, and the Mahayuti leaders are shedding crocodile tears.

“Chief Minister’s close associate and state minister of disaster management Girish Mahajan seems to be waiting for such accidents. As soon as an accident occurs, he immediately announces an assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the dead and free treatment to the injured. Girish Mahajan puts the price of the lives lost due to government negligence at Rs 5 lakh each, but why are the lives being lost? But why did these people lose their lives? Who will answer these questions?” asked the Thackeray camp.

According to the editorial, the bridge on the Indrayani River has become old. The government had approved Rs 8 crore to rebuild it, but that money remained on paper. “As all the money was spent on politically beneficial schemes, the state government’s coffers are in tatters. As a result, the bridge on the Indrayani River was not repaired, and people were swept away. This is a crime of culpable homicide,” it said.

The editorial further said that the Pune district Guardian Minister is Ajit Pawar, and the MLA from Maval, where this terrible accident took place, Sunil Shelke, is Ajit Pawar’s close confidante. “The MLA did not see the dilapidated bridge in their village, but he himself spent over a hundred crore rupees to get elected. What exactly does Ajit Pawar do as the Guardian Minister, paying attention to the development of Pune? Builders and landlords develop, but people are swept away when the dilapidated bridge on the Indrayani River collapses,” claimed the editorial.

“Maharashtra is being hit by accidents and mishaps. Several people from Maharashtra died in the Ahmedabad plane crash. A family from Akola was killed in a helicopter crash in Kedarnath. Five youths drowned in the Godavari River. Three tourists drowned in Charlotte Lake in Matheran. Only sad, disappointing news is coming from all sides,” said the editorial.

The editorial also referred to the cracks at the platform of the newly unveiled statue of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot fort in Malvan, saying it is quite worrisome. “First, the first grand statue there collapsed last year and now the platform of the new statue has caved in. This is a failure of the Public Works Department. Here, the bridge over the Indrayani River collapsed, and there, the platform of the statue of Shivaji Maharaj has deteriorated. So, where exactly did the crores of rupees spent on this go? If you are not going to investigate this, then your announcements of investigations and checks are in vain,” said the editorial.

The editorial also mentioned the death of five passengers who fell from a Mumbai local train, saying that its grief and shock are disturbing the state. “Railways, rivers, roads and air transport have all become unsafe in the state. A series of such accidents is happening one after another in the country and Maharashtra. This has raised a question mark over the claims of those who call themselves Vikas Purush or survivors of the people. Accidents are happening, people are losing their lives in them, and this is largely due to the government’s inaction,” said Shiv Sena(UBT) in Saamana.

The editorial also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that he left for a three-nation tour, ignoring the grief after the Ahmedabad plane crash. “The pyres of those who died in the plane crash have not been extinguished. The tears of the families have not stopped as the Prime Minister came and left Ahmedabad. The same can be said of the rulers in Maharashtra. The government, which is wasting money on unnecessary projects, does not work on the bridge over the Indrayani River and in a moment, the bridge collapses and people are swept away alive,” said the Saamana editorial.

–IANS

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Exporters can now apply for certificates of origin directly from their business software: Govt

New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has introduced an open application programming interface (API) facility for the issuance and verification of certificates of origin (CoO) through the Trade Connect e-Platform for eligible exporters, according to an official statement issued on Monday.

The open API facility enables exporters to integrate their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), accounting or other business software directly with the DGFT’s CoO system. At present, exporters are required to enter CoO-related details separately on the DGFT platform, even when the same information is already available in their business software.

The new facility enables electronic transfer of application data from the exporter’s system to the DGFT platform, thereby eliminating repetitive data entry, reducing errors and expediting the application process.

The facility supports both Preferential and Non-Preferential Certificates of Origin. Preferential CoOs are issued under Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) and Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs), enabling exporters to claim applicable tariff concessions in the importing country. Non-Preferential CoOs are issued for customs clearance, compliance, trade remedy and other trade purposes without providing tariff benefits.

Under the facility, exporters can obtain API credentials through the API management section of the CoO portal and register the IP addresses from which their systems will connect.

Three APIs have been made available, namely the Authentication Token API for secure login, the CoO File API for submission of applications and receipt of certificates, and the Certificate Verification API for verification of issued certificates.

A transaction ledger is maintained for each application, providing details of the status of the application, including Draft, In Process, Approved, Certificate Issued and Rejected. The ledger also captures the acknowledgement ID, file number, file date and certificate number, enabling exporters to track their applications electronically.

The open API facility incorporates multiple security safeguards to ensure secure and reliable exchange of information. All requests and responses are digitally signed to ensure data integrity, authentication of the sender and non-repudiation.

“Passwords are protected using PBKDF2 hashing with a dynamic salt, while access is restricted to IP addresses whitelisted by the exporter. Each access token remains valid for 60 minutes,” said the statement.

The framework covers major trade agreements and certification schemes, including India–Japan CEPA, India–Korea CEPA, SAFTA, SAPTA, ASEAN–India FTA, India–Singapore CECA, India–Malaysia CECA, India–Chile PTA, India–Mercosur PTA, India–UAE CEPA, India–Australia ECTA, India–Oman CEPA, India–EFTA TEPA, India–UK CETA, the Generalized System of Preferences and the Non-Preferential CoO Scheme.

–IANS

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