Subhash Pathak is special correspondent of Hindustan Times with over 15 years of experience in journalism, covering issues related to governance, legislature, police, Maoism, urban and road infrastructure of Bihar and Jharkhand.
Articles by Subhash Pathak
CM to hold all-party meet on caste census on June 1
The much-awaited all-party meet in Bihar on the contentious issue of a statewide caste census issue will be held on June 1, state’s parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said on Tuesday.
Published on May 24, 2022 10:01 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
Nitish Kumar govt ends suspense on all-party meeting for Bihar caste census
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar first spoke about the plan to convene a meeting of political parties in September last year after the Centre filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, refusing to conduct a caste census in the country or releasing the data collected in 2011
Published on May 24, 2022 09:37 PM IST
After excise duty cut, Bihar CM hints at reducing VAT on petrol, diesel
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday hinted about the possibility of a cut in the value-added tax (VAT) on petroleum products after the Central government slashed the excise duty on petrol and diesel by ₹8 and ₹6 respectively on Saturday.
Published on May 22, 2022 10:40 PM IST
BIADA issues notices to sick industrial units, sets strict rules to keep hold on leased plots
In a bid to offer land to interested entrepreneurs at subsidized rates, the Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA) has decided to cancel the land lease of all sick industrial units, officials aware of the development said.
Published on May 21, 2022 10:18 PM IST
Special camps to be set up so Bihar panchayat leaders can apply for gun licences
More than a dozen elected representatives of the rural bodies in Bihar have been killed over the last five months
Updated on May 19, 2022 11:39 AM IST
All gram panchayats in Bihar to have own websites
According to Panchayati raj minister Samrat Chaudhary the project to develop websites of all 8,387-gram panchayats would start once the department receives quotations from various government agencies
Published on May 18, 2022 10:10 PM IST
All Bihar gram panchayats to have their own websites now
Each website will contain demographic details, places of historical importance, important institutions as well as details of elected representatives of the area
Updated on May 18, 2022 10:35 AM IST
Have told officials to complete BPSC paper leak probe soon, says Nitish Kumar
The BPSC on Sunday cancelled the preliminary examination of the state civil services after the question paper went viral on social media, minutes before the commencement of the examination.
Published on May 09, 2022 10:32 PM IST
Reconstructed MG Setu to become fully operational by June 1st week
The reconstructed Mahatma Gandhi Setu on river Ganga, which is the communication lifeline between north and south Bihar, will become fully operational from the first week of June, state’s road construction department (RCD) minister Nitin Nabin said on Friday.
Published on May 06, 2022 09:19 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
‘Only Nitish pictures on JD(U) posters’
Bihar unit chief of the ruling Janata Dal -United, Umesh Singh Kushwaha, on Monday directed party functionaries to use pictures of only chief minister Nitish Kumar in the party’s banners and posters.
Published on May 02, 2022 09:24 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
Part of under-construction bridge on Ganga in Bihar caves in, probe ordered
The four-lane bridge, located about 35 km west from Bhagalpur, is being built by SP Singla Constructions Limited for the Bihar Pul Nirman Nigam Limited (BRPNNL) at a cost of ₹1710.77 crore.
Updated on Apr 30, 2022 09:18 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
After a decade, Nafed to launch pulse procurement in Bihar
The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (Nafed) has decided to procure around 43,000 (MTs) metric tonnes of pulses from farmers in Bihar, officials familiar with the matter said.
Published on Apr 20, 2022 09:35 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
Cabinet nod to rules for direct election of chief councillors, deputies
Decks are now clear for direct elections of the chief councillors and the deputy chief councillors in the urban local bodies (ULBs) after the state cabinet on Monday gave its nod to the rules for the amended section of the Bihar Municipal Act 2007, which changed the system of municipal elections.
Published on Apr 18, 2022 10:16 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
Bihar Cong leaders urge for immediate revamp of organisation, amid Jha’s resignation talks
A senior party leader said that he had written a letter to the AICC chief to appoint new office bearers after Jha started keeping off from the Sadaqat Ashram affairs.
Published on Apr 17, 2022 10:00 PM IST
RJD wrests Bochahan assembly seat from ruling NDA in bypoll
The by-election in the constituency in Muzaffarpur district was necessitated following the demise of Musafir Paswan, who had won the seat in 2020 assembly polls on a ticket of Mukesh Sahni-led VIP
Published on Apr 16, 2022 09:31 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
Purvanchal Expressway to enter Bihar, link Patna, Bhagalpur: Minister
NHAI has been asked to submit the possible alignment of the greenfield project along with feasibility to the Bihar’s road construction department for the go-ahead
Published on Apr 14, 2022 09:33 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
Rising fuel prices national issue, can’t help: Nitish Kumar
Regarding speculation on his plans to join the national politics, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said such talks were inconsequential.
Updated on Apr 11, 2022 10:10 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
Electioneering comes to end for Bochaha byelection, polling on April 12
Electioneering for the by-elections in Bochaha (reserve) constituency in Muzaffarpur came to an end on Sunday with top leaders of the ruling coalition and the opposition making a fervent appeal to the electors to vote for their candidates.
Published on Apr 10, 2022 10:08 PM IST
First-time violators of liquor law in Bihar can skip jail for a fine
Days after amendments to the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016, were cleared by the state legislature, the state cabinet has approved a set of rules to relax penal action against the offenders, officials said.
Published on Apr 05, 2022 09:33 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
Polling peaceful for 24 Council seats in Bihar
Polling for 24 local bodies’ constituencies of Bihar Legislative Council, in which the electorate consisted of elected representatives of panchayat bodies, including municipalities and municipal corporations, in the respective constituencies, passed of peacefully on Monday, barring stray incidents of names missing from the voters’ list and violation of the code of conduct.
Published on Apr 04, 2022 10:02 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
BJP-JD(U) face off yet again over bulldozer mode of governance in Bihar
A war of words has erupted once again between the leading partners of the ruling alliance over the bulldozer culture of governance—coined by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to drive its election campaign in Uttar Pradesh—after the police resorted to heavy machines to attach the house of an absconding criminal in Chapra on Saturday.
Updated on Apr 03, 2022 10:48 PM IST
STPs, networks low on capacity to treat Patna’s sewage water: CAG report
The installed treatment capacity of sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Patna is highly inadequate to handle the current discharge of effluents, observed the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) of India in its report that was laid on the floor of the state legislature recently.
Published on Apr 03, 2022 10:47 PM IST
NDA leaders in Bihar dismiss talks of Nitish’s bid for RS
Senior leaders of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Friday dismissed speculations that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar may quit the post and bid for Rajya Sabha membership or look for his rehabilitation at the Centre.
Published on Apr 01, 2022 09:56 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
NDA leaders dismiss speculation about Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's exit
Minister Sanjay Kumar Jha, who is a leader of Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), called the speculation mischievous and far from the truth
Updated on Apr 01, 2022 12:49 PM IST
Three Bihar towns top Niti Aayog list of aspirational districts
Three towns in Bihar — Katihar, Gaya and Muzaffarpur — have been ranked on top of the list of aspirational districts classified by the Niti Aayog for their performance on the basis of delta score for the month ending February this year.
Published on Mar 31, 2022 10:40 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
Three Bihar towns top Niti Aayog list of aspirational districts
Three towns in Bihar — Katihar, Gaya and Muzaffarpur — have been ranked on top of the list of aspirational districts classified by the Niti Aayog for their performance on the basis of delta score for the month ending February this year.
Published on Mar 31, 2022 10:07 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
Bihar’s govt hospitals ailing: CAG report
Bihar’s health services remained far from satisfactory in terms of offering the basic medical facilities to people, notwithstanding huge investments from the government, according to the state’s principal accountant general (PAG) Ramawatar Sharma, who released the audit reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) for the year ending March 2020 on Wednesday.
Published on Mar 30, 2022 10:11 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
Council chairman revokes day-long suspension of RJD member
Working chairman of Bihar Legislative Council, Awadhesh Narayan Singh, on Tuesday revoked the suspension of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) member Sunil Kumar Singh after members of the opposition pleaded for mercy on him.
Published on Mar 29, 2022 09:33 PM IST
Subhash Pathak, Patna
Vikassheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahni gets offer from Congress to join
The Vikassheel Insaan Party had contested the 2020 assembly elections as an ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and Sahni became a minister with four MLAs in his kitty. He was made an MLC and minister in the Nitish Kumar-led government. On Monday, he was sacked as the minister and expelled from the NDA on the advice of the BJP.
Published on Mar 29, 2022 12:57 AM IST
To check floods in north Bihar, WRD plans study to revive rain-fed rivulets
The Bihar water resources department is planning a study to identify and rejuvenate the rivulets in north Bihar that usually go dry in summers but cause floods in rainy seasons.
Published on Mar 28, 2022 09:10 AM IST
