Bihar could not obtain sanction from the Centre for any sewage treatment plant in the plase II of Ganga action plan (GAP).
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India, in its report ending March 2000, has come down heavily on the tardy implementation of the Ganga Action Plan in different states.
The report said that there were heavy shortfalls in reaching the targets of creation of assets and facilities under the plan. Achievements were a poor indicator of the extent of success of the plan. Most of them did not function either fully or partially for a variety of reasons.
The apex body headed by the Prime Minister, the National River Conservation Authority, met only twice to monitor the plan, in 1994 and 1997. At the states level, Haryana, Bihar and Delhi governments did not constitute the citizens' monitoring committees in any of the towns included in the project.
The GAP had met only 39 per cent of its primary target of sewage treatment, the report said. The phase I of the plan was not fully complete, even after a delay of 10 years. The phase II was far behind schedule, with creation of only 13 per cent of targeted sewage treatment capacity.
Bihar could not obtain sanction from the Centre for any sewage treatment plant in the plase II of GAP.
Gap shorfalls
* CAG says there are massive shorfalls in the creation of
assets and facilities under the Ganga Action Plan(GAP)
* Targets achieved were a poor indicator of the success
of the GAP as most did not function either fully or
partially for a variety of reasons
* The National River Conservation Authority has met
only twice in 1994 and 1997 to monitor the plan
* Haryana, Bihar & Delhi have not constituted the citizens'
monitoring committee as included in the project
* West Bengal constituted committees in only 5 out of 42
towns included and is yet to submit a detailed project
report to the Centre.
Health services in Bihar in shamble
The National Health programme in Bihar had suffered considerably due to the weaknesses in the health infrastructure and definitely the service offered is one of the worst in the country.
Majority of the primary health centres (PHCs) and health sub-centres (HSCs) of Bihar did not have their own buildings. Of the 1,655 PHCs and 6,463 HSCs which it would be left with after its bifurcation, 60 to 80 per cent were located either in private buildings or in government buildings, majority of whom were in a dilapidated condition.
The state government has said that there should be at least 11,880 HSCs, 1,950 PHCs and 396 referral hospitals in Bihar after its division. Instead of having 587 referral hospitals, there were only 99 such hospitals in undivided Bihar. Incidentally, 29 of these 99 referral hospitals would go to Jharkhand, leaving the truncated Bihar with only 70 hospitals. Although the rest of Bihar would comprise of 37 districts, it would have only 24 district hospitals and only 23 subdivisional hospitals.
A senior government official has admitted that there should be atleast 11,880 HSCs, 1,950 PHCs and 396 referral hospitals in Bihar after its division.
On the basis of different research studies, it had been revealed that a large part of the sanctioned amount for improvement of rural health infrastructure had been misappropriated by different agencies. When the state government is facing severe financial crunch, it is the need of the hour to involve some leading NGOs and private sector in this sector.
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Exodus of lakhs of Biharis from Delhi : at home frustrated unemployed lot
The closure of a large number of polluting industrial units in Delhi has made lakhs of Bihari labourers jobless. Recently, Supreme Court has ordered the removal of these units from residential areas. Most of the workers employed in these industrial units are from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh settled in Delhi for more than ten years. Some of them were having grown up children who were also enrolled in some local schools.
But suddenly losing jobs and having no alternative option to earn their bread and butter in the capital, the only option to them was to return to their villages. Every train coming to Bihar is loaded with these forced migrants. In last decade, a larger number of unemployed youth of the state had migrated to economically fast growing regions of the country like Delhi, Mumbai, Surat, Punjab and Haryana for earning their livelihood and many of them were very successful due to their hard labour and sincerity. A large part of their income was also reaching their remote villages as remittance and its impact is clearly visible in the form of pucca houses and investment in agriculture by way of purchasing pumping sets and tractors. In a changed situation they find it very difficult to rehabilitate themselves at a place where there is hardly any use of the skill they acquired in last couple of years.
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Software Technology Park in Patna
Keeping in view the bright future of software technology, the Govt of Bihar has taken a decision to setup a state-of -the art software technology park in Patna. The industries department of the state govt has entrusted this work to Bihar Electronic Development Corporation( Beltron). From Beltron sources, it is learnt that Biscomaun tower is proposed to be the suitable place for this park where 1 lac sqft. builtup space is readily available. Beltron is preparing a comprehensive project report for this work. Facilities of high speed data link, integrated computer, captive stabilised power supply and air conditioning would be provided after the approval from the Central Govt. With the establishment of this park, there would be no flight of local talents and entrepreneurs from the State.
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