Latest news with #BiharLegislativeAssembly
Time of India
30-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Buxar govt hospital's ICU non-operational in lack of specialist doctors, equipment
Buxar: Buxar Sadar Hospital is once again facing public scrutiny — this time because of its Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Although health Minister Mangal Pandey recently announced in the state assembly that the hospital's ICU is operational, but a visit to the hospital on Wednesday revealed a contrasting situation. The ICU, situated on the third floor in the O Block on the hospital premises, is non-operational and locked. The space outside the ICU has been converted into a temporary storeroom, where several unused beds are stored. When reached for comment, civil surgeon (CS) Dr Shiv Kumar Prasad Chakraborty said, "The ICU is not in operation. The ICU was closed even before I joined. The main reason is the lack of an anesthesiologist." However, he mentioned that a specialist has now been assigned and has been shown the 10-bed ICU setup. The anesthetist has subsequently requested additional staff and essential equipment required to make the ICU operational. Local residents said that patients are frequently referred to Buxar sadar hospital from primary health centres, only to be sent onward to Patna without receiving treatment. This recurring issue has led to significant public dissatisfaction, with patient families often expressing frustration with the hospital management. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Over the past several months, local social workers and youth activists have organised protests, demonstrations, and hunger strikes demanding the ICU be made operational. Despite this, the facility remains non-functional due to the lack of specialist doctors and essential equipment. During the recent monsoon session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, CPI-ML Dumraon MLA Ajit Kumar Singh raised a question regarding the ICU facilities in the district. In a written response, health minister Mangal Pandey claimed that a 10-bed ICU had been completed and was currently operational at Buxar sadar hospital. Reacting to the minister's response, Dumraon MLA expressed strong disapproval, accusing health minister of misleading the assembly. "The health minister is telling white lies. The govt is not serious about the issues raised and is merely resorting to whitewashing," Singh said. He further added that the replies provided were either inaccurate or deliberately misleading. "The claim that the ICU is functional is false. It has not been made operational till date," the MLA stated.
Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Tejashwi leads Oppn attack in Bihar assembly: ‘Not against roll revision but the process'
The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls continued to cause stormy scenes at the monsoon session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly for the third day in a row, with the Speaker allowing discussion on the subject after three days of Opposition protest. Speaker Nand Kishor Yadav's decision to allow the discussion came despite Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's objections to it. During the debate, Bihar's Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav questioned the timing, transparency, and documentation requirements for SIR – the Election Commission's contentious exercise to update electoral rolls. 'The Constitution grants the right to vote to every person above 18 years, regardless of wealth or status. This equality must not be infringed,' he said. The Opposition, he insisted, 'wasn't against the SIR itself' but opposed the process. Referring to complaints cited by the Election Commission about non-resident and 'external' voters. 'The Election Commission should work honestly and transparently, but it is not doing so. We strongly oppose and deny this in the House,' he said. 'It is shameful that such a significant drive is going on and yet the Election Commissioner has not addressed the press to clarify their position; instead, information emerges only through unnamed sources.' He also wondered at the 'urgency' of conducting the exercise, pointing out that the last such revision in 2003 took two years to complete. 'If the process is so important, why not start after the Lok Sabha elections? Why was it initiated now, during the monsoon season?' he asked. 'Bihar is at the bottom in terms of essential documents, whether it's a birth or death certificate. Only 2.3% of people have the necessary documents. Now, 11 documents are being demanded which most poor people don't possess. Why aren't Aadhaar, ration cards, or MNREGA cards being accepted, despite Supreme Court suggestions?' This figure includes both 3.5 crore registered workers and around 1 crore unregistered voters who, despite their tenure outside, 'return to Bihar to vote'. 'There is now a risk their names may be deleted from the rolls,' the LOP argued. Addressing allegations about foreign nationals on the rolls, he said: 'The matter is pending before the Supreme Court. In the 780-page affidavit filed by the Election Commission, there is no mention of any Bangladeshi, Nepali, or Myanmar national. Even BJP's over 52,000 Booth Level Agents have never raised such complaints with the Election Commission.' In response, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar accused the Opposition of making electoral rolls revision 'an issue because of their lack of work and upcoming elections'. The RJD too had been in power once, he went on to say. 'Why are you raising these issues now? Your father was chief minister for seven years, then your mother for another seven years, and then you were also deputy chief minister,' Kumar said. 'Look at what your budget used to be earlier, and how much more we've done for everyone now. Today, it's more than Rs 3 lakh crore and the central government is providing a lot of support too… we surveyed Bihar to identify where anything was lacking. Wherever there were gaps, we've addressed them… Whenever there was a need, we made sure the work got done,' he said. He then said: 'Ab mamla hai ki chunav ladna hai to bhai chunav ladiye aur uske band jitna bolna hai bolte rahiye (But now it's about contesting elections. So go contest and then you can say as much as you like).' The situation began to heat up when a comment made by RJD MLA Bhai Virendra caused uproar and led to the house being adjourned until the afternoon session.
Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Not against SIR itself but against the process': Tejashwi after at Bihar Speaker allows discussion on electoral rolls revision
The Special Intensive Revision continued to cause stormy scenes at the monsoon session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly for the third day in a row, with the Speaker allowing discussion on the subject after three days of Opposition protest. Speaker Nand Kishor Yadav's decision to allow the discussion came despite Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's objections to it. During the debate, Bihar's Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav questioned the timing, transparency, and documentation requirements for SIR – the Election Commission's contentious exercise to update electoral rolls. 'The Constitution grants the right to vote to every person above 18 years, regardless of wealth or status. This equality must not be infringed,' he said. The Opposition, he insisted, 'wasn't against the SIR itself' but opposed the process. Referring to complaints cited by the Election Commission about non-resident and 'external' voters. 'The Election Commission should work honestly and transparently, but it is not doing so. We strongly oppose and deny this in the House,' he said. 'It is shameful that such a significant drive is going on and yet the Election Commissioner has not addressed the press to clarify their position, instead, information emerges only through unnamed sources.' He also wondered at the 'urgency' of conducting the exercise, pointing out that the last such revision in 2003 took two years to complete. 'If the process is so important, why not start after the Lok Sabha elections? Why was it initiated now, during the monsoon season?' he asked. 'Bihar is at the bottom in terms of essential documents, whether it's a birth or death certificate. Only 2.3% of people have the necessary documents. Now, 11 documents are being demanded which most poor people don't possess. Why aren't Aadhaar, ration cards, or MNREGA cards being accepted, despite Supreme Court suggestions?' This figure includes both 3.5 crore registered workers and around 1 crore unregistered voters who, despite their tenure outside, 'return Bihar to vote'. 'There is now a risk their names may be deleted from the rolls,' the LOP argued. Addressing allegations about foreign nationals on the rolls, he said: 'The matter is pending before the Supreme Court. In the 780-page affidavit filed by the Election Commission, there is no mention of any Bangladeshi, Nepali, or Myanmar national. Even BJP's over 52,000 Booth Level Agents have never raised such complaints with the Election Commission.' In response, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar accused the Opposition of making electoral rolls revision 'an issue because of their lack of work and upcoming elections'. The RJD too had been in power once, he went on to say. 'Why are you raising these issues now? Your father was chief minister for seven years, then your mother for another seven years, and then you were also deputy chief minister,' Kumar said. 'Look at what your budget used to be earlier, and how much more we've done for everyone now. Today, it's more than Rs 3 lakh crore and the central government is providing a lot of support too… we surveyed Bihar to identify where anything was lacking. Wherever there were gaps, we've addressed them… Whenever there was a need, we made sure the work got done,' he said. He then said: 'Ab mamla hai ki chunav ladna hai to bhai chunav ladiye aur uske band jitna bolna hai bolte rahiye (But now it's about contesting elections. So go contest and then you can say as much nonsense as you like).' The situation began to heat up when a comment made by RJD MLA Bhai Virendra caused uproar and lead to the house being adjourned until the afternoon session.
Hans India
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Bihar monsoon session: Oppn protests in black, Deputy CM hits back on voter list row
Patna: On the second day of the Bihar Legislative Assembly monsoon session, opposition parties staged strong protests wearing black clothes against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. The opposition, led by the Leader of Opposition in the Council, Rabri Devi, alleged, 'The government is using SIR to tamper with the voter list. It is a conspiracy to suppress votes of backward and marginalised communities under the guise of verification,' Rabri Devi said. During the protest, slogans were raised like, 'Stop trying to usurp elections and SIR is an excuse; the purpose is to ban voting.' MLCs of the Grand Alliance arrived at the Council wearing black clothes, holding posters and placards while raising slogans in the portico before the session began. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary countered the opposition's allegations, stating, 'The Election Commission has made it clear that no citizen—poor, backward, Dalit, or general—is being removed unfairly from the voter list. So far, 98 per cent participation has been recorded in the re-verification process of 19 lakh deceased voters, 20 lakh migrated citizens and 8 lakh duplicate voters have been identified.' He further said, 'The SIR process will conclude on July 26, after which the draft voter list will be published, allowing all parties to file objections transparently.' Samrat Chaudhary targeted the opposition's black-clothes protest, remarking, 'Shani has overshadowed them; that's why they are roaming around in black.' He accused the opposition of misleading the people and referenced past political statements on illegal voters to justify the verification drive, citing that 'over 120 per cent Aadhaar registration in districts like Kishanganj makes investigation necessary.' When questioned about speculations of CM Nitish Kumar being considered for Vice President, Samrat Chaudhary remarked, 'It is up to the BJP and NDA leadership, and they will decide.' The monsoon session is politically crucial, with the government aiming to pass key bills before the upcoming elections. The opposition is aggressively targeting the government on law and order, voter list revision, and unemployment during this five-day session.
Hans India
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Ruckus in Bihar Assembly over SIR Opposition to Wear black in protest
Patna: The monsoon session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly began on Monday with high drama, as the opposition created a ruckus inside and outside the House over the ongoing special intensive voter list revision ahead of the Assembly elections After the adjournment of proceedings, the Mahagathbandhan Legislature Party held an important strategy meeting to intensify pressure on the government over the next four days of the session. It was decided that all opposition MLAs will arrive at the Assembly on Tuesday wearing black clothes to protest against the rising crime in the state and the voter list revision. Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, after the meeting, said, 'The monsoon session of the Assembly has begun today, and we have demanded from the Speaker that the issue of voter list revision be discussed in the House.' Tejashwi emphasised that the opposition will fight this battle to protect democracy and prevent the erasure of its existence. 'If the government and the Speaker are unwilling to allow a discussion on this issue, it will not be possible for them to face the people in the coming days,' he said, adding that letters have been sent to all leaders regarding the matter. He further stated that the opposition is raising the issue in Parliament as well and will strongly raise it in Bihar on Tuesday. 'The government will have to discuss this issue in the House at any cost,' he asserted, confirming that all Mahagathbandhan MLAs will wear black clothes to register their protest on Tuesday. Earlier, as the proceedings began, opposition MLAs, wearing black bands, created an uproar in the House demanding a discussion on the voter list revision and other issues. Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav expressed his displeasure at the continued disruptions, asking the opposition members to sit down and maintain decorum. At one point, the Speaker reprimanded RJD MLA Bhai Virendra, saying, 'Sit down. Is this what all you have learned?' He also pulled up CPI(ML) MLA Satyadev Ram for the disruption as the ruckus continued in the House. The opposition has been alleging that the ongoing special intensive voter list revision (SIR) before the elections is a conspiracy to remove the names of the poor and minorities from the voter rolls, accusing the Election Commission and the central government of collusion.
