Patna Diary

Furore over backwardness blame on Bihar
When Bihar was busy celebrating the 160th anniversary of the victory day of Babu Kunwar Singh, the local hero of the country’s first war of independence in 1857, the collective sense of pride was punctured by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant’s remarks.

He said states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were keeping India backward, especially on social indicators.

The remarks raised eyebrows and evoked sharp reactions from politicians cutting across party lines. Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav said Kant’s remarks exposed the “babus’ mentality”. Yadav also flayed Bihar’s ruling JD(U) and BJP, who have together ruled the state for nearly a decade. 

Patna to have a new collectorate building 
Work on construction of a new, multistorey building for the Patna collectorate is set to begin in June. District administration officials are working overtime to shift the offices of various departments from the present 200-year-old collectorate complex near Gandhi Maidan, on the banks of the Ganga, to other places in the city.

The shifting process is being videographed to ensure that important documents are not lost or misplaced. The state government had decided in 2016 to dismantle the existing British-era structures to make space for a modern building. 

Patna zoo helping inmates beat the heat
With summer arriving in full force, the authorities at Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, better known as Patna Zoo, have put in place a range of facilities to give the animals and birds relief from the heat. Coolers and fans have been fixed in the enclosures of the animals, and pools around the enclosures of tigers are being continually replenished with water to let them enjoy dips.

Zoo officials said glucose and electrolytes are being mixed with the water given to the animals and birds to drink in order to keep them hydrated. Two chimpanzees, Subadhra and Kartik, are being given special care. The zoo staff is regularly giving them coconut water and buttermilk to keep them hydrated. 

Tough time for builders as RERA heat rises
Since the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA), 2016 came into effect, builders in Bihar have been scrambling to comply with the provisions of the law. With the formation of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority of Bihar earlier this month, developers are required to get permanent authorisation before advertising their projects, entering into agreements with customers and accepting money from them. Show-cause notices were issued to 14 developers in Bihar, two from West Bengal and one from Delhi for advertising their projects without getting registered under the law.

For developers to advertise their projects anywhere in India (except in Jammu and Kashmir), they have to first register with RERA and acquire a number. Advertisements issued by the erring developers did not carry RERA numbers.