Bihar’s Raghopur Is Still Awaiting The ‘Bridge’ Of Development

shakeel ahmad

3 years ago

Strangely enough, Raghopur, in Bihar’s Vaishali district and a place related to Lalu Yadav’s family, has not secured the facility of a temporary pontoon bridge to cross the river, possibly the Ganges. The car, as was reported, is first loaded on the boat and then the vehicle reaches the other side. What a situation! The block still lacks basic development. It can not at all be let off if that very particular area is attached to the ex-CM of Bihar. The constituency was represented by Lalu Prasad in 1995 and 2000, and Rabri Devi in 2005.

We are all so sharp to grin and turn out the peculiar negligence but accept it as actually such. It’s just neglect towards the assembly constituencies in the state.

Apart from the family name, Tejashwi, who is hoping to expand the RJD’s appeal beyond caste to development, is counting on the goodwill arising out of a project to build a 9.6-km bridge between Kachchi Dargah (Patna) and Bidupur (Hajipur). Work on it began in the year 2015 when Tejashwi was the deputy CM and held the Road Construction portfolio. The bridge is a godsend for an area where people have long got by on boats or a temporary pontoon bridge. “I take the boat to go to Patna to sell milk. Hundreds of vegetable sellers do the same,” says a man, adding that the few in Raghopur who own four-wheelers also have to often load them onto boats.

What reminds me after going through the news is that similar exercise was exercised during my trip to a village Balua when I had been living in Ghazipur years back. By the train, I completed my journey to Lar Road and from that railway station, the Ekka which took me to the river was loaded on the boat. The boat was the only means to cross the river and taking people to Balua village in Gotthni Block of Siwan district.

For me, it was quite a dreaded journey. But for the boatman, it was as simple to load the ekka with the animal on the boat as anything could be. Being a class V student, I was amply dazed at the way people used to cross the river. The boatman kept on rowing with his full attention and dexterity. Within a few minutes, we were on the other side and ekka was unloaded. I along with my grandfather reached the famous village. Now, we have learnt that a bridge had been built and people use the safer route. But the story of Raghopur is still devoid of the facility of a bridge till this day. It means the development in rural areas even after 70 years of independence is still a matter of concern.

Featured image is for representational purposes only.