It’s raining sops in Nitish’s village

Kalyanbigha, a small hamlet in Nalanda district of Bihar, is all set to emerge as a model village soon.

Kalyanbigha, a small hamlet in Nalanda district of Bihar, is all set to emerge as a model village soon. Located around 50 kilometres from Patna, its journey to the hall of fame started when Nitish Kumar, the pride son of the village, became the state Chief Minister. On November 29, a host of cabinet ministers reached Kalyanbigha and announced a slew of sops, the occasion being the death anniversary of Ram Lakhan Singh Yadav, Kumar’s father, who was a freedom fighter.

As Chief Minister of Bihar, Kumar’s rival Lalu Prasad Yadav too had transformed his native village Phulwaria in Gopalganj district into a model village. In fact, Lalu had even built an air strip in the village in order to avoid a gruelling 180 km journey by road. While Lalu did everything himself, for Nitish Kumar, his cabinet colleagues are doing the job.

While every minister announced at least one gift from the Government’s kitty, Road Construction Minister and NDA convenor Nand Kishore Yadav went a step further. He announced that the native house of the Chief Minister would be transformed into a memorial for his father Kaviraj Ram Lakhan Singh.

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Currently, the house in Kalyanbigha remains virtually abandoned and a portion of it has collapsed recently.

“Ram Lakhan Singh was not only the Chief Minister’s father, but a freedom fighter too. So the NDA has decided to construct a memorial”, Yadav told The Indian Express. The Minister, who belongs to BJP, also declared that the village road from Kalyanbigha to the NH would be rebuilt and turned into a PWD road.

Energy Minister Bijeyendra Yadav announced that the Chief Minister’s village would be “illuminated” next year. He announced that a grid would be constructed at Harnaut — some 5 km away — with a sum of Rs 35 crore. Besides, Rs 2 crore would be spent for a power sub-station in Kalyanbigha itself.

HRD Minister Brishen Patel said that a high school would be built in Kalyanbigha apart from upgrading the middle school. Health Minister Chandra Mohan Rai declared that a 12-bedded hospital would be set up in the village. Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi said an ITI would be set up in Kalyanbigha apart from a dairy plant with an investment of Rs 140 crore.

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Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar expressed his wish to be cremated in his village after his death. “I want to get mingled with this soil after my death,” he said.