Patna diary

Bihar’s inaugural bird festival Kalrav launched

The inaugural edition of Kalarav (cacophony) bird festival was launched by CM Nitish Kumar at Nagi-Nakti bird sanctuary on Saturday. The fest aims at raising awareness on birds, especially migratory. Spread over 2.1 sq km area in the lap of rocky hillocks, the Nagi bird sanctuary is the winter home for more than 133 bird species every year. Nitish said the bird festival will be a treat for the ornithologists here. Kumar also inaugurated a Bird Awareness Centre (BAC) with a photo gallery on various bird species.

Bid to smuggle 2K tortoises to Bhutan, China foiled

As many as 1,946 tortoises belonging to an endangered species were recently seized in Gopalganj district while they were being smuggled from Lucknow to Bhutan via Kolkata by a truck. The estimated value of these tortoises in international market is said to be `1 crore. Naresh Paswan, sub-divisional police officer of Gopalganj, told media that two people, identified as Vidhan Bairagi and Ranjit Kumar, both residents of West Bengal’s 24-Pargana district, were arrested. He said of the seized 1,946 tortoises, 261 were dead. Police said the reptiles were being smuggled from India to Bhutan and China, where the meat and other body parts of tortoises are used in making medicines. 

Free food for patients from Didi ki Rasoi

Didi ki Rasoi will dish out piping hot, hygienic food free to all patients at government-run hospitals. Touted as a pioneer scheme, thousands of Jeevika Didis associated with SHGs will be roped in to cook and provide hygienic food free to patients at district and sub-divisional hospitals. The attenders will get the food at a concessional rate. The scheme was approved by the chief minister during a cabinet meeting. There are 1.2 crore women associated with 10 lakh SHGs in Bihar. Didi Ki Rasoi was first introduced as a 
pilot project at Vaishali district hospital in 2018.

e-charging stations at Patna, Patliputra junctions

The General Manager of the East Central Railway (ECR), LC Trivedi, recently launched two public e- charging stations at Patna and Patliputra junctions in Bihar. This is the first such facility launched by the Indian Railways. The e-charging stations will be able to charge all types of electric vehicles. Anyone can charge their e-vehicles from these two stations for a nominal fee. Trivedi said it is a matter of pride that Patna and Patliputra junctions have become country’s first two railway stations to have this facility. 

Rajesh K Thakur
Our correspondent in Bihar
rkthajipur@gmail.com