The Times of India 27.08.2014
Govt to create Patna Metro Development Authority
PATNA:
The state government has decided to create Patna Metropolitan
Development Authority (PMDA) to plan comprehensive development of the
state capital besides Fatuha, Phulwarisharif and Danapur areas. The
cabinet on Tuesday approved the urban development and housing department
(UDHD) proposal in this regard. UDHD secretary will be chairman of the
10-member PMDA.
Following the severe waterlogging problem in
Patna last week, chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi had criticized the
Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) functioning and asked the chief
secretary to evolve a new mechanism.
The PMDA would be
empowered to undertake comprehensive development plan and survey work of
the proposed Patna metropolitan area, including the infrastructure
development for water supply, drainage and sewerage.
Briefing
media after the cabinet meeting, principal secretary, department of
cabinet coordination, Brajesh Mehrotra said besides Patna DM, chief town
planner, Patna municipal commissioner, executive officers of Danapur,
Khagaul and Phulwarisharif civic bodies, two government experts would
also be the members of the authority. The chief executive officer of
PMDA would be the member secretary of the authority. Representatives of
the state road construction department and public health and engineering
department would also be included in the committee.
The
cabinet also gave its nod for signing the memorandum of agreement with
the Centre for setting up one model rural health research unit, six
multidisciplinary research units, besides five viral research and
diagnostic labs in the state.
It also approved Rs 586 crore for
the construction of a medical and nursing college at Indira Gandhi
Institute of Medical Sciences, Sheikhpura, Patna. Similarly a sum of Rs
100 crore has been sanctioned for the expansion and renovation of
Darbhanga Medical College Hospital.
The cabinet also cleared
the creation of 108 posts for ECG technicians for attending to heart
patients at district level government hospitals. The government has
increased the existing amount for the treatment of hip and knee
replacement, plastic surgery and acid burn case patients under the CM
Medical Relief fund. Now, the patients will get Rs 50,000 each for hip
and knee replacement as against the existing amount of Rs 20,000.
Similarly, for plastic surgery and acid burn cases, the limit has been
extended from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh.
The government has also accorded state festival status to Pritipaksh mela at Gaya and Sonepur cattle fair.
For the proper implementation of the Land Acquisition Act, the cabinet
approved the proposal of framing Bihar Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation,
Resettlement Transparency Rights Rules 2014. It will include
rehabilitation and resettlement scheme, compensation related issues,
preliminary notification and social impact assessment. The rules would
be uploaded on the website for seeking public opinion before finalizing
it.
Under the Bihar Public Service Rights Act 2011, cabinet
okayed the proposal to reduce the period from 60 days to 30 days for
delivering ration cards to people. For the development of horticulture
in the state, the cabinet approved Rs 178.94 crore to the Bihar
horticulture development society. It cleared Rs 40 crore for the timely
distribution of the amount among the flood victims of 2014.