38 lakh children brought back to schools in Bihar: Minister

The efforts of Bihar govt under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has yielded positive results with 38.25 lakh children in 6 to 14 age group being brought back to schools, Human Resources Dev minister Hari Narain Singh informed the state Assembly.

Replying to budgetary demands of the department totalling over Rs 8,700 crore, Singh said the number of dropouts among school children was 45.75 lakh in 2001 and it came down to 7.5 lakh during the current year.

He said the government had resolved to cover all the 7.5 lakh school children in the state and provide them quality primary education during 2009-10 as "it's their fundamental right".

The Minister said while the erstwhile RJD regime spent Rs 1081.51 crore between 2001-02 and 2005, the NDA government spent Rs 1539.59 crore in just one year (2006-07) under the flagship programme.

The expenditure rose to 2176.41 crore during 2008-09.

Impressed by the state government's performance on this front, the Centre has increased the allotment manifold and has sanctioned over Rs 4,300 crore to Bihar for the year 2009-10 under the SSA.

Singh said that school going children up to class VIII were being provided the books free of cost since 2008-09 and the government had spent Rs 201 crore on this front.

 

 

--
By :  News Team

Red alert in Majuli as Assam flood situation turns grim

The flood situation on Thursday turned grave in Assam following heavy rainfall in the catchment areas as red alert was sounded in Majuli, the world's largest river island, and Lakhimpur.

Official sources said more than two lakh people of nearly 300 villages have been affected due to breach in embankments at Majuli and Lakhimpur.

In Majuli, an embankment was breached on Thursday morning at Nayabazaar inundating Jengraimukh, Fuloni, Halodiati, Kherkotamukh and Nayabazaar.

In Lakhimpur, a 100-metre stretch of the "geo-fabric" embankment, constructed by a Malaysian company at a cost of Rs 140 crore, was breached on Wednesday at Matmora affecting nearly 200 villages.

East Dhakuakhana, Matmora, Kherkota, Dangdhara, Dimoruguri, Kekuri and Dholpata were among the areas which got submerged.

Heavy rainfall in the catchment areas in the foothills of the Himalayas in Arunachal Pradesh resulted in floods in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Sonitpur and Jorhat.

A red alert has been sounded in these areas and personnel of National Disaster Rescue Force were engaged in rescuing the marooned people.

Water level of the mighty Brahmaputra was flowing close to the danger level at Guwahati.
--
By :  News Team