Come to meet me and you will feel the pain. I am Bahraich, a
district (though I look like a town) in UP that is ignored and neglected by the
government and my representatives.
The major connecting route is the invisible lucknow-bahraich
road with more visible pit holes .Forget about rail connectivity. I have been
promised an electrical railway line since 15 years, but promises are never kept
especially in my case.
With a few degree colleges and no university, I have only a few
institutes that are not sufficient to accommodate the aspiring crowd of
students who are not financially capable to move out for studies.
You talk of employment opportunities and I don’t have any. A
site was finalized in the late 90s to setup an ITI(Indian Telecom Industry),but
that too was robbed away to Gonda, the neighboring district by influential congress MP Anand Singh.
The year 2009 gave a ray of
hope as Commando Kamal kishore,a close aide of the Gandhi family was finalized for
Bahraich constituency. Though he was new to the city but people trusted him due
to his defense background and for the proximity to the Congress chief, but he
shattered all the hopes, being the worst MP any constituency would have had. Forget
about the special development package, he never turned back.Even the MPLAD(MP Local area development) funds were hardly used
Sachchar committee recommended me in the list of minority concentrated
districts that needed special attention on education and development. But who
cares and knows. The officials were busy cashing the lucrative place where
nobody objects.
Local Area development has been done by the 5th term MLA Dr Veqar Ahmed Shah ,but he too flunked
to rope in educational and employment opportunities. He is the only hope, being the Cabinet
Minister in state governmen
Being an officially backward district, my expectations were
too low. I never thought of tourism and recreational development though I had
exotic Katarnia ghat(a Tiger reserve) ,Sonpathri and many other adventurous
places. I only hoped of lko-brh road,a railways link, health and educational
services.
Even the merit of having an international border, did not
pay me.
My situation is pathetic and I am the most underprivileged
district around.
I am Bahraich.
Jai Hind.