CMYK Morning India MAY DAY 2022WILL BE MOST SIGNIFICANT IN INDIA’S RECENT HISTORY OPINION Rs. 3 PATNA SUNDAY, 1 MAY, 2022 PG-12, YEAR— 8, ISSUE— 156 (RNI NO: BIHENG / 2014 / 59124) Gen Manoj Pande takes charge as Army chief AGENCIES NEW DELHI: Gen Manoj Pande took charge as the 29th Chief of the Army Staff on Saturday after incumbent Gen MM Naravane retired from service. Gen Pande, who was serving as the vice chief, became the first officer from the Corps of Engineers to helm the force. Before taking charge as vice chief of the Army on February 1, Gen Pande was heading the Eastern Army Command, tasked with guarding the Line of Actual Control in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh sectors. Gen Pande took charge of the Army at a time India is facing myriad security challenges, including along the borders with China and Pakistan. As the Army chief, he will also have to coordinate with the Navy and the Indian Air Force on the government's plan to roll out theatre commands. The theaterisation plan was being implemented by India's first Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat who died in a helicopter crash in December last. The government is yet to appoint Gen Rawat's successor. Gen Pande also served as the Commanderin-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, which is India's only triservices command. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, he was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers) in December 1982. NEW DELHI: India saw a single day rise of 3,688 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,30,75,864, while the active cases increased to 18,684, the government said on Saturday. According to the Union health ministry data updated at 8 am, the death toll rose to 5,23,803 with 50 more fatalities. The active cases constituted 0.04 per cent of the total infections, while the national recovery rate was recorded at 98.74 per cent, the health ministry said. An increase of 883 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of last 24 hours. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 0.74 per cent and weekly positivity rate at 0.66 per cent, the data said. The number of people who have recovered from the disease has increased SPORTS CM inaugurates India’s first greenfield Ethanol plant in Purnia S M SHAHBAZ PATNA: Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday inaugurated India’s first green field grain-based Ethanol plant in Purnia, the gigantic facility has come up under Bihar government’s ambitious plan to make Bihar a hub for Ethanol production. The newly-inaugurated Ethanol production plant has been established with a total cost of Rs. 105 crore at Parora, Ganeshpur in Purnia district. It has become country's first green field grain based ethanol plant after the Center and State's Ethanol Policy-2021. Purnia Ethanol plant was established by Eastern India Biofuels Limited, the facility will produce 65 thousand liters of Ethanol will daily from maizerice. After inauguration, CM Nitish Kumar said “It is a matter of great happiness that today first Ethanol plant has started production today here (Purnia). Efforts are being made to establish Ethanol plants since the year 2007.” Earlier, the limit of use of ethanol in petrol and diesel was fixed at 10 percent, but now it will be used up to 20 percent. People of Seemanchal will also get full benefit of this, CM Nitish Kumar pointed. CM also said that industries are expanding in Bihar. While preparations for ethanol plants have been completed for other places as India reports 3,688 new Covid cases, 50 fatalities AGENCIES IPL 2022 RAv INDRA JADEJA HANDS : BACk CSk CAPTAINCY TO MS DHONI to 4,25,33,377, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.22 per cent. The number of doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive has exceeded 188.89 crore. India's COVID-19 tally crossed the two croremark on May 4 and three crore on June 23 last year. Out of 50 fatalities, 45 were reported from Kerala, two each from Delhi and Maharashtra, and one from Uttar Pradesh. Of total deaths so far, 1,47,842 have been reported from Maharashtra, 69,011 from Kerala, 40,099 from Karnataka, 38,025 from Tamil Nadu, 26,174 from Delhi, 23,507 from Uttar Pradesh, and 21,201 from West Bengal, among other states. The health ministry has stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. Super structure of Aguwani bridge in Sultanganj collapses The bridge is under construction ALOK MISHRA well. Maize production is high in Bihar but all that goes out (in other states). After opening of Ethanol plant here, the nearby farmers will get a lot of benefit and this will also increase employment. After inauguration, CM inquired about milling section, power plant, boiler section, water treatment plant, dryer section, production capacity of the plant, employment generation and benefits to farmers. Industries minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said that 65 thousand liters of ethanol will be produced daily from maize-rice in this ethanol plant of Eastern India Biofuels Limited. He added that more Ethanol plants would come up in the state very soon. People who don’t have knowledge about industrial progress in Bihar should come and see,” Industries The newly-inaugurated Ethanol production plant has been established with a total cost of Rs. 105 crore at Parora, Ganeshpur in Purnia district. It has become country's the first greenfield grain-based ethanol plant after the Centre and State's Ethanol Policy-2021. Purnia Ethanol plant was established by Eastern India Biofuels Limited minister said. During the much-awaited inauguration ceremony of Purnia Ethanol unit, CM Nitish Kumar was accompanied by Industries minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain. On this occasion, CM principal secretary, Deepak Kumar, industries departmet’s principal secretary Sandeep Poundrik, Purnia DM Rahul Kumar, food and consumer protection minister Leshi Singh, Purnia MP Santosh Kushwaha and several other public representatives were also present. PATNA: Super structure of under-construction Aguwani Bridge collapsed in Sultanganj locality in Bhagalpur district due to strong winds late on Friday night. There is no report of any casualty due to collapse of bridge. On Saturday, Bhagalpur district magistrate Subrata Kumar Sen said that structure on top of pillar number four, five and six of underconstruction cable-based Aguwani bridge on river Ganga connecting Bhagalpur and Khagaria districts fell due to strong winds. At present, construction work around mishap site has been stopped from point of view of safety, he pointed out, adding that Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation MD is reaching Bhagalpur with technical team to probe the mishap. Besides this, central agency team would also reach Bhagalpur to probe the matter, he said, adding that action would be taken against agency concerned after report of probe team is received. On getting information local MLA Prof. LN Mandal reached the spot. He inspected mishap site and sought information over quality structure of said bridge. Bhagalpur DM Subrata Kumar Sen said that structure on top of pillar number four, five and six collapsed Interacting with mediapersons, Prof. Mandal said that the way this mishap has taken place, it seems that some compromise has been made in quality. He said that persons found guilty would not be left at any cost. There should be a high level inquiry into this matter, he demanded. Prof. Mandal said that he has informed chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar and persons concerned about this mishap. He said that this bridge is CM's dream project and construction works would not start till quality test of this bridge is carried out. It may be mentioned here that total length of Aguwani bridge under construction on river Ganga at a cost of Rs 1711 crore is 3160 meters. The construction work of this bridge is being carried out by SP Singla Company since 2015. Though its construction work was to be completed in 2019, land acquisition and other problems, now target has been set to make this bridge operational in 2022. Must be mindful of Lakshman Rekha: CJI at meet with CMs and PM AGENCIES NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Saturday said the Constitution provides separation of power among the three organs of the state and while discharging duty, one should be mindful of 'Lakshman Rekha'. Speaking at the Joint Conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of High Courts, Ramana said deliberate inaction by governments despite judicial pronouncements is not good for the health of democracy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the joint conference. "Constitution provides separation of power among three organs and the harmonious function between three organs strengthens democracy. While discharging our duty, we should be mindful of Lakshman Rekha," he said. Voicing concern over misuse of PILs, the CJI said it has now turned into "Personal Interest Litigation" and is used to settle personal scores. "The rising number of frivolous litigations is an area of concern. For example, the well-meaning concept of public interest litigation is at times turning into personal interest litigation. No doubt, PIL has served a lot of public interest. However, it is sometimes being misused to stall projects or pressurise public authorities. "These days, PIL has become a tool for those who want to settle political scores or corporate rivalry,” he said.