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“No one ever comes here. But since Rahul’s visit, lots of officials have come visiting here,” says Chedaram Paasi, son of the village pradhan Jarvarshi Devi in whose house Rahul spent a night during his visit. He still cannot overcome how Rahul made him sit next to him and shared the ‘poori sabzi’ cooked by his mother.
The last time a VIP visited the village was way back in 1997 when Arif Mohammad Khan came calling along with a battery of senior officials, including the District Magistrate.
Development still hasn’t touched Tilhar. Even though a number of schemes have been approved on paper, very little has been done on ground. A 5-km road from Bhinga to Duttapur is still incomplete, while the next 5 km from Duttapur to the village is still a long dusty kuccha stretch though it was approved to become a full-fledged road under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna in June 2008.
In 2006, an electrification plan was sanctioned for the village and even a test pole installed. But that stopped working after 10 days and was gradually removed. Since there is no electricity, the 2,628 villagers, mostly Dalits, don’t even have access to television.
The village was declared an Ambedkar village in 1998-99 as well as 2000-01, but of the 39 handpumps installed then only 16 are now working. A request for reboring the rest is still pending with the UP Jal Nigam. The nearest Primary Health Centre is some 5 km away, but it is generally closed. There is a hospital 20 km away, but getting there is difficult due to the lack of transport facilities. The village shares its PDS shop as well as the anganwadi with the neighbouring village.
The only good thing that has happened here in several years is the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), say the villagers.
As many as 146 job cards have been made and the villagers are paid within 15 days of their work.
During his visit, Rahul not only met the villagers and discussed their problems, but also visited the NREGS sites. “He checked all the muster rolls and documents himself and spoke to the labourers about their payments,” says
Virendra Chand Mishra, the rozgar sewak who accompanied the MP to the sites.
Rahul also spoke to the Self Help Groups created under the Swarnjayanti Grameen Swarozgar Yojna at the Pradhan’s house and visited the primary school. “He asked us what kind of activities we would like to undertake. Since we are still waiting for some claims, he also asked us details and assured us of quick action,” said Tulsiram Paswan of the village.
Tilhar falls under the Shravasti parliamentary constituency of Congress MP Vinay Pandey while Daddan Mishra of the BSP is the local MLA.
With the AICC general secretary promising them a better tomorrow, the village now is hoping to hear some good news soon. “We want electricity first as only then would we be able to use tubewell for irrigation and then, our lives will certainly get better as we are all dependent on agriculture,” said Paswan.
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This a big question mark on the way government programme to help poor is implemented, if visit of political leader is qualification of getting what was meant for poor people. I think visit of these political leaders to village should be made compulsory, so that more and more people can get benefitted. This means welfare programme made by government is not for welfare of rural and poor people but a publicity stunt which political leader use for their political motive.
This a big question mark on the way government programme to help poor is implemented, if visit of political leader is qualification of getting what was meant for poor people. I think visit of these political leaders to village should be made compulsory, so that more and more people can get benefitted. This means welfare programme made by government is not for welfare of rural and poor people but a publicity stunt which political leader use for their political motive.
This a big question mark on the way government programme to help poor is implemented, if visit of political leader is qualification of getting what was meant for poor people. I think visit of these political leaders to village should be made compulsory, so that more and more people can get benefitted. This means welfare programme made by government is not for welfare of rural and poor people but a publicity stunt which political leader use for their political motive.
While one must laud Rahul Gandhi for his perseverance for uplifting poor villages, this cannot be a way for uplifting the lacs of villages in India where abject poverty prevails. Rahul has taken a bold initiative that is very different than that of his congress AND NON-CONGRESS colleagues who it appears hate the poor and their POOR villages.The time has come to end the lip service and get down to some real hard work like Rahul's. Let there be a National Programme for eradication of poverty in villages of India. Make sure this programme is corruption free and time bound.Where there is a WILL, There is always a WAY!!!! I believe Rahul has the will to find the right WAY!!!!!
Rahul is making surprise visits not to uplift poor vilagers. To fool them, he is visiting villages to see how many people he can convert to Catholic. This idea he must have got from her month. A foreign leader of our beloved Country. I am sure, this will not have any Impact on coming elections
They are just remaking Indira Gandhi era dramas of 'garib bachavo' 'garibi hatavo' etc. These old stunts won't click in the box office these days.
Does Rahul know how many such villages exist in India? Does Montek Singh, the planner, know how many there are; how many villages, like this one, that have got nothing out of the great 5-year plans? If Rahul visits all such villages and spends some time in each village, he will be leaving the last village with a mop of grey hair and a stick in his hand. Gimmicks don't solve the problems of the country.
Hey Rahul, You have a golde opportunity now to become the Prime Minister of India. But if you decide to spend the next five years in social service then your future may not be as bright. People do not remember the good work for long time but never forgets a single mistake of others. So just grab the opportunity and become the PrimeMinister instead of trying to help poor people.
Hey Rahul, You have a golde opportunity now to become the Prime Minister of India. But if you decide to spend the next five years in social service then your future may not be as bright. People do not remember the good work for long time but never forgets a single mistake of others. So just grab the opportunity and become the PrimeMinister instead of trying to help poor people.
sadly this is the plight of every remote village in india where the basic necessity dont exist.forget we are developing as a strong nation..the media should take these kind of matters seriously than give top priority to murders, suicide bombings,rape etc etc..as front page coverage...how we r saying india is an economic power..How will we stand up to china???
Wait and watch the village he visited will turn into a beautiful damsel and Kalavathi will be the Sarpanch. There is a story in Mhabharat that when Krishna visisted Mathura,he touched a disabled girl who prostrated before him and she immediately turned into a normal village damsel. This village also touched by the magic wand of Rahul will transform into the envy of heaven on earth.
Blessed Brother Raoul Ghandy has brought Jesus and Gawd to this lost village and now Dalits will live happily ever after as Christian Dalits.
I wonder what stopped the Muslims from taking Allah and Prophet Mohammad to the village? It seems, by what you say, that Jesus and God went ahead. And, perhaps, the dalits are untouchables for the Muslims, too.
Wow - what a leader. Rahul Gandhi is so down to earth and yet so futuristic and visionary.His ideas and visions, soar high up in the sky, though his feet remain firmly on the ground.Amethi has some serious competition - there is another Singapore-esque city coming up in India. I am sure Rahul will turn around this village, just as he transformed Amethi, from a sleepy town, to the financial, industrial and knowledge hub of India.