Rajesh Kumar Singh is Assistant Editor, Hindustan Times at the political bureau in Lucknow. Along with covering politics, he covers government departments. He also travels to write human interest and investigative stories.
Articles by Rajesh Kumar Singh
DANGEROUS DISPOSAL
The business of disposal of hospital waste has gone to the dogs in Gorakhpur. In both male and female government hospitals stray dogs feast on human parts that are dumped along with bio-medical waste at the garbage dump yards located on the premises of the hospitals. AND IN Lucknow several rounds of meetings have been held by the Health Department for disposal of bio-medical waste released by government and private hospitals.
Published on Jul 02, 2006 01:24 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Dog bitten? Wait till the war is over
THE STATE Government has allocated Rs 30 crore for the purchase of anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) but ironically, government hospitals are facing acute shortage of ARV. Those bitten by rabid dogs have no option but to purchase costly vaccines from the open market.
Published on Jul 01, 2006 10:59 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Food with mother care: Tastes better
CHILDREN residing in the rural areas are in for some good time. Instead of ?panjiri, they will now get to eat ?hot cooked food? straight out of their mother?s hand. Women Welfare and Child Development Department, which has taken a decision to form mothers? committees to set the novel idea rolling, hopes that the bond between the mother and the child will not only protect the children from malnutrition but also smash the hold of mafias over the supply of energy food.
Published on Jul 01, 2006 10:43 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Saifai gets med college & real fast
CHIEF MINISTER Mulayam Singh Yadav?s love for Saifai more than shows. The UP Rural Medical Sciences and Research Institute (RMSRI), located at his native village, is now a medical college within no time, creating a record of sort for having come into existence in 11 months.
Published on Jun 29, 2006 01:05 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Maya sets eyes on Uttaranchal, Punjab
BSP SUPREMO Mayawati has her eyes set on Uttaranchal and Punjab, besides Uttar Pradesh. The Vidhan Sabha election in Punjab and Uttaranchal is expected to be held simultaneously along with Uttar Pradesh. After gearing up the party cadre for election in UP, Mayawati has focused her attention on these two states.
Published on Jun 24, 2006 01:24 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Worlds apart: Tale of two departments
IT?S A tale of two departments ? Medical Health and Family Welfare. Both the departments are concerned with public health, but they are a study in contrast. The Medical Health Department is drawing all attention of the government and its officers are leaving no stone unturned to meet the target. But the scenario is exactly the opposite at the Family Welfare Department.
Published on Jun 22, 2006 01:07 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Industrial unit just a click away!
WISH TO set up a unit in the city?s industrial zone? All you have to do is to click mouse, register the name of the company and press ?enter?. That?s it. Now just relax, within the given schedule all the formalities to set up the plant will be completed.
Published on Jun 22, 2006 12:03 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh
Divided in State, Left falls by wayside
UNITED AT the Centre and divided in Uttar Pradesh. The CPI and the CPI(M), the two main constituents of the Left Front, are on the same platform when it comes to cornering the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) on public issues, but in UP the two parties are treading separate paths. This has provided much relief to Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Published on Jun 18, 2006 01:52 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
It?s socialists vs socialists
THOUGH BOTH Janata Dal (United) and Samajwadi Party share a common platform on ideological grounds, now they have decided to test each other?s strength on the political ground of Uttar Pradesh.
Published on Jun 15, 2006 01:14 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Retired, but not out!
ONCE THEY were vital links in the administrative chain of the State government. But, the retirement left them scattered and made their life impossible. Before post-retirement depression set in, they re-welded themselves as a Retired IAS Officers? Association. The first association of its kind to announce? Let?s start life afresh for a social cause. They have decided to meet once in a month to begin with. And to formalise their meeting schedule the one-time top notches got together in the city recently.
Published on Jun 13, 2006 12:00 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh
Weak monsoon foreseen this year
EVEN AS the farmers in the state are gleefully watching the water-laden clouds hovering in the sky, the Agriculture Department officers say, do not expect abundant rains, as there will be a weak monsoon in the coming days.
Published on Jun 12, 2006 01:31 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
IIM plays umpire in health project
YOU MUST have heard the phrase 'killing two birds with one stone'. This is exactly what the Uttar Pradesh Health Systems Development Project (UPHSDP) plans to do to improve health facilities in rural areas.
Published on Jun 08, 2006 12:51 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Auditors? report reveals ARV scam in State
HAVE RABID dogs taken over the streets in Uttar Pradesh? Else, how does one explain that 6.615 lakh anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) purchased by the health department in March were exhausted within two months.
Published on Jun 03, 2006 01:19 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Chicken yet to find its way to dining table
THOUGH NO case of bird flu has been reported in Uttar Pradesh, its scare has hit the poultry industry hard. In February the outbreak of bird flu was reported at Nandubar in Maharashtra. Since then the poultry industry here has suffered a loss of Rs 60 crore.
Published on Jun 02, 2006 01:24 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Lalu, Paswan plan to get even with Mulayam
BOTH RASHTRIYA Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ramvilas Paswan plan to give Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav a taste of his own medicine.
Published on May 30, 2006 01:11 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Noise near airport set to grow
MOST NATIVES of GORAURA village bang on the border of the Amausi airport may be deaf but they are surely not dumb. They are dead against any government move to acquire their land taking advantage of their predicament, which is bound to increase in days to come.
Published on May 27, 2006 01:44 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Medical college docs refuse to bite Saifai bait
THE GOVERNMENT proposes, doctors dispose. And this has almost put Mulayam Singh Yadav's dream project, the UP Rural Medical Sciences and Research Institute (RMSRI) in Saifai on the ventilator.
Published on May 22, 2006 01:05 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
PNDT Act no bar for the unscrupulous!
LADKA YA Ladki? Ladka ! Many in UP adopt a business-minded approach when it comes to choosing their offsprings. They prefer to spend Rs 500 and save Rs 5 lakh as dowry. Parents are unabashedly adopting amniocentesis technique for female foeticide. In violation of Pre-natal Diagonstic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Amendment Act, 2002, pre-birth sex determination and sex selective abortion is still continuing in ultrasound centres. According to a survey, around 1 lakh female foeticides are carried out each year in UP.
Published on May 19, 2006 01:23 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
This ?bhikshu? initiated Babasaheb
CIRCA 1956, Nagpur. Pragyanand was twenty-eight years old and already a ?bhikshu?. A towering political personality stood before Pragyanand and monks Chandramuni Mahasthvair of Kushinagar, Pragyasthir of Sanchi, Sanghratna of Sarnath and Shraddha Mahasthvair of Sarnath. The man had written the most sacred testimony of Independent India and was there to rewrite his faith. He was taking ?diksha? (initiation) to become a Buddhist. He was Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar.
Published on May 14, 2006 01:22 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Rae Bareli is battle ready
SINGH NIWAS, located in the Civil Lines, is humming with activity since early morning. ?This is our command office,? says a Congress leader as he waits for Priyanka Vadra. ?Here she comes,? says another leader as Priyanka moves into the hall. All of them quickly move to Pandey Kothi, which has been converted into a makeshift war room (election office) as wing commander (Retd) Manoj Mattu spreads the map of Rae Bareli on the central table.
Updated on May 08, 2006 12:52 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Rae Bareli
Health Dept plans to come clean
CHARGED WITH corruption in the purchase of instruments and drugs, the Health Department officials have decided to come out clean. The top officials of the department have planned to amend the procurement procedure and make it transparent. Earlier, the Central Medical Drug Store Department (CMSD) used to procure instruments and drugs for various government hospitals. Now, a three-member committee, comprising director medical care, director medical health and director stores will float tender and finalise the purchase.
Published on May 06, 2006 01:32 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Ground reality: Water scarcity looms large
WATER WILL be scarce this summer! The State Ground Water Department (SGWD) has blown the whistle over a sharp fall in the ground water table. Out of 820 blocks in the State, 456 blocks have been declared the worst affected. The water table has fallen to the lowest level in these blocks.
Published on Apr 27, 2006 01:22 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
People promise Sonia victory
SHE PAID obeisance to deities and gave 'dakshina' to priests in temples. She received blessings from elders and 'affection' from children. ?Don't worry, go ahead and file your nomination papers. You are our 'bahu' and we will give a befitting reply to your opponents,? people assured Congress president Sonia Gandhi. In villages on the route from Lucknow to Rae Bareli, people lined up on both sides of the road to have a glimpse of Sonia and bless her for victory in the by-election.
Published on Apr 18, 2006 12:58 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
An enclave of brothels, drug joints & mafia
IT WAS billed to be a state-of-the-art colony with garden, swimming pool, market, gymnasium etc etc. But what we have is a shameful stretch called Nehru Enclave with brothels and drug joints as criminals rule the roost. This colony, in the heart of the city (Gomti Nagar), has 800 flats but only 300 are legally occupied. And the rest are with shady characters.
Published on Apr 09, 2006 02:02 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh and Bhupendra Pandey, Lucknow
BSP in poll mode...
THE CONGRESS, the BJP and the Samajwadi Party (SP) are striving hard to keep their flocks (MLAs) together. But the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), after making a dent into the base of the rival parties, is in election mode.
Published on Apr 07, 2006 01:06 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Polio war far from over, proves crippling evidence
WHEN IT seemed that battle against polio had been won, the disease returned with a vengeance crippling one dozen children. Previous year 29 cases were reported in the State. An elated Family Welfare Minister Ahmed Hasan had said that by the end of 2006 polio would be eradicated from Uttar Pradesh. But the plan of the Family Welfare Department to free UP from polio has gone haywire.
Published on Apr 04, 2006 01:32 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
UP expects record wheat output
THE STATE government expects record wheat production ? 300 metric tonnes ? this season. But the consumers do not know if the wheat price will become bearish or hot chapattis, part of the daily meal, wi ll continue to cost them dear. Farmers all over the state are busy in harvesting the ?rabi? crop these days. With the arrival of wheat in ?mandis?, the State Government hopes that the wheat price, which is rising in the open market, will crash and give much-needed relief to the consumers.
Published on Apr 01, 2006 01:10 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Rebels see future in BSP
RAJYA SABHA and Vidhan Parishad elections have set the stage for the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha election. Cross-voting by BJP and SP MLAs in support of the BSP candidate in today?s polls clearly indicated that MLAs consider BSP a safe bet to secure victory in the next Vidhan Sabha election.
Published on Mar 29, 2006 01:20 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Is it curtains for CMSD?
A RECENT Health Department order for drug companies to supply medicines directly to chief medical officers in the districts may pave the way for closure of the Central Medical Drug Store Department (CMSD). The CMSD floats tenders and signs rate contract with companies for supply of drugs and equipment to hospitals across the State.
Published on Mar 27, 2006 12:37 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow
Official apathy: Engineers pay the price
RK Garg, an Executive Engineer posted in Yamuna Canal project at Sharanpur was beaten up in the office by a local MLA on January 27. VR Singh, an Executive Engineer posted in Construction Division of PWD at Gonda was threatened of dire consequences by the contractors on November 11 last year. AH Zaidi, an Assistant Engineer in Ground Water Department posted at Regional Unit Banda was also threatened by anti?social elements in his office on February 28, 2006.
Published on Mar 25, 2006 01:13 AM IST
None | Rajesh Kumar Singh, Lucknow