Tough fight in Patna’s northern rival

SUPAUL: Monday was a busy day for netas in Supaul that goes to the polls in the fifth and final phase on November 5. While Union HRD minister Smriti Irani and chief minister Nitish Kumar addressed rallies in the town, former deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi held a road show to garner support for BJP candidate.
People, more or less, were not bothered with the movement of netas. Most of the locals TOI talked to expressed satisfaction with the performance of incumbent MLA and energy minister Bijendra Yadav.His close rival is BJP’s Kishore Kumar Munna, who won as independent candidate twice from Sonbarsa in Saharsa district.
Though much smaller in size than Patna, Supaul can be a lesson even to the state capital on how to improve civic amenities. Streetlights on both sides of the road and overall cleanliness are what Supaul residents boast of. Roads are also in good shape. Owner of a garment shop, Anand Kumar Gupta, says the business community does not have any issues. Other businessmen in city’s Mahavir Chowk area expressed similar views. However, there is no industry as such in and around Supaul.
A lawyer in district court, Raj Kamal Jha, says it was the incumbent MP who improved the infrastructure at the district and sessions court. However, the owner of a local food joint in the town, Sushil, says higher education is in a bad shape. “The railway network is a big problem here. There is no college to pursue post-graduation and engineering,” he says.
M D Sawan, who passed out from city’s government BSS college and is now studying at ITI here, says quality of education is far from satisfactory at both the institutions. “In ITI college, there is serious shortage of qualified faculty,” he said. Sonali, a Class 10 student of Government High School here, says she never goes to school due to lack of infrastructure. “I depend on coaching institute,” she rues.
Union HRD minister Smirit Irani, while addressing a rally at ITI ground here, promised that if voted to power, the NDA government would ensure quality education in the district. “We will take initiative to open up a PG college here,” she said.
Another issue that concerns the locals is poor healthcare facility. There is a sadar hospital, but it can’t perform major surgeries. There are no big nursing homes in the city. Most of the residents TOI spoke to said if an accident occurs, the patients are referred to Darbhanga or even Nepal.
Dr A K Verma of Supaul sadar hospital, who is also associated with IMA, says patients face tough time here due to lack of basic drugs. “Even emergency drugs are not available here,” he says, adding that lack of equipment and shortage of manpower is another problem at the hospital.
He points out to another ill – liquor. “Alcoholism is a big problem here. Number of liquor shops has increased in the town in last few years. After Patna, Supaul probably has the highest number of liquor shops in the state,” he says.