Mobile vans to promote reading
Picture by Deepak Kumar
The National Book Trust has decided to flag offmobile vans to districts, making books available to readers across the state for promoting the habit of reading among people.
Speaking in Patna on Tuesday, National Book Trust chairman Baldeo Bhai Sharma said the vans would take the organisation's books to the districts of Gaya, Vaishali, Nalanda, Nawada among others. The books would be available with 10 per cent discount. He said: "The state has a old culture of reading. It had been the centre of knowledge. The trust wants to promote and propagate different publications to different corners of the state."
Last year, the National Book Trust had opened its book promotion centre in Bihar, following the objective to help more and more people access books, in different languages and dialects, at low and moderate prices.
Sharma added the trust would also publish books in the Magahi and Angika dialects used in certain parts of Bihar. At present, it publishes books in Bhojpuri and Maithili dialects.
Workshop for tax issues
The Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries on Tuesday organised a workshop on the problems of filing different forms of the commercial taxes department.
Organised in association with the commercial taxes department, the workshop aimed at explaining doubts and problems traders face while filing online returns.
Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries vice-president Subhash K. Patwari, secretary-general O.P. Tibrewal and member Ram Lall Khaitan were present. The commercial taxes department was represented by assistant commissioner Udayan Mishra, deputy commissioner Ajay Kumar Chaurasia. Representatives of Tata Consultancy Services, the service provider, were also present.
Patwari said: "It was an interactive session during which traders spoke about their problems and doubts. The officials resolved their problems on the spot and took time for those which could not be answered on the spot."
Udayan Mishra said the commercial taxes department was intent on improving its online facility. Earlier, there were two websites for filing forms and returns but now that has been merged into one site. "Our site is not the best but we are progressing towards better functioning of the site because of two reasons. First, most of the work today is online and second, the good and services tax is to be rolled out in a year or two and it operates on a computerised system," he said.
Transport strike
on Tuesday. Picture by Jai Prakash
Members of autorickshaw unions, taxi, bus and truck drivers would go on a nationwide strike on April 30 to protest against the Road Transport and Safety Bill 2014. Public transport services are likely to be hit in Bihar, as people working in the sector have extended their support to the strike, called by a host of trade unions, including Indian National Trade Union Congress, All India Trade Union Congress and Centre of Indian Trade Unions.
All India Road Transport Workers' Federation secretary Raj Kumar Jha said: "We have made our preparations to make the strike successful in Bihar. Autos, buses, mini-buses, school vans, school buses will not operate on April 30. We are opposed to the anti-road transport industry, anti-workers and anti-people bill which, if implemented, will hurt the industry and the people."
He, however, made it clear that emergency services and medical services will be spared from the strike considering the impact of the Nepal quake and last week's sudden thunder squall.
On the reasons to oppose the bill, Jha said it proposed hefty fines for even minor traffic violations such as jumping a red light. "For example, if a motorist does not wear a helmet, he/she would have to pay Rs 2,500 fine for a first violation and Rs 4,000 for the second violation. At present, violators have to pay a mere fine of Rs 100 for not wearing helmets," he said.
He added that the Centre has proposed the bill to replace the Motor Vehicles Act and the move could affect lakhs of road transport workers and vehicle users.
Classical show today
Kala Kendra, in Patna on Tuesday. Picture by Ashok Sinha
Co-operative minister Jai Kumar Singh would inaugurate a musical programme at the Kalidas Rangalaya on Wednesday. Pracheen Kala Kendra, an organisation dedicated to the promotion of classical dance and music, would organise it.
Secretary of Pracheen Kala Kendra Sajal Kishore said vocalist Rekha Ratnam Das would perform at the event as would sarod player Reeta Das.
The head of department, music, at JD Women's College, Das has been associated with the organisation "for almost a year. She said: "Bihar lacks the proper platform for local artistes to exhibit their talents. Those associated with classical music do not get their due in the state but still theopportunity to perform in one's hometown is always exciting."
