BIHAR NEWS BRIEF (Feb.

23- March 1)

Bihar Bureaucrats Say Won't Obey Verbal Orders Even From Nitish Kumar

The declaration came at a meeting of the IAS officers' association, held two days
after the arrest of a senior official, Sudhir Kumar -- chairman of the Bihar Staff
Selection Commission -- in the question paper leak case.

They reject police probe, say officer being made a scapegoat for leaks

Calling the arrest "unjustifiable", Association secretary Vivek Singh said we want
a CBI inquiry as investigation by the state police is far from the truth.

A resolution passed by the officers also said they will not accept the post of
chairman of any recruitment board and will bear all legal expenses as a mark
of solidarity with jailed IAS officer Sudhir Kumar.

Bihar maintains momentum at 7.6 percent, says economic survey

Bihar remains one of the fastest growing States in the country as the growth
momentum of the States economy continued last year, said state finance
minister Abdul Bari Siddiqui on Thursday.

Presenting the economic survey for 2016-17 in the State Assembly on the
opening day of the budget session, Siddiqui said Bihars growth rate remains
better than the national average.

As per the new GSDP estimates, the medium-term growth rate for GSDP in Bihar
was 7.6 per cent, compared to 6.8 per cent for the national economy, said the
survey report.

Per-capita income in Bihar was about 35 per cent of the national average in
2015-16, compared to about 33 per cent a decade ago.The per capita income
at current prices in 2015-16 is Rs 36,964.

Nitish takes a dig at Modi over neglect of Ganga

Taking a dig at PM Modis statement made before the 2014 Lok Sabha poll in
Varanasi that he had come there on the invitation of (river) Ganga mata, Nitish
Kumar on Saturday said Ganga maiya now has been asking where was her
son.

Mr Kumar also said the condition of the river had become so deplorable that he
gets emotional over it.

Mr Kumar said he had demanded the closure of the Farakka barrage in West
Bengal as it has been the root cause of siltation causing floods every year in
Bihar.
Nitish Kumar to address Delhiites ahead of local municipal polls

Nitish will address two rallies in the national capital, where JD(U) will contest all
the 272 seats, taking on the AAP on its home turf.

The party's Delhi in-charge Sanjay Jha said JD(U) aims to tap the "discontent"
among the AAP's poorvanchali voters' base.

Bihar Congress Vice President Brajesh Kumar Resigns Over Alleged Sexual
Exploitation Of Girl

The alleged indulgence of a senior Congress leader, Brajesh Pandey, in a sex

racket involving a former ministers daughter, has taken a toll of the Bihar
Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) hierarchy and future plans.

Nitish Kumar is a curse for Bihar, says Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha

...as Nitish Kumar had been unable to deal with problems in education and law
and order, he said.

Kushwaha, who is the and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party chief, said there was
rampant bungling and corruption in examinations.

JD(U) suspends MLA over university job scam in Bihar

Bihars ruling Janata Dal (United) on Thursday suspended its legislator Mewalal
Choudhary for alleged gross irregularities in the appointment of staff when
he was the vice chancellor of the Bihar Agriculture University (BAU) in
Bhagalpur district.