Raj Kishore Singh owns a motorcycle workshop on Station Road at Shahpur Patori, Samastipur, under the Morba Assembly constituency. He opened Sarla Cycle Store about 35 years ago near the electricity board office and later the motorcycle workshop Speed Auto, which is looked after by his eldest son. His efforts to set up a small-scale industry in 1987 proved futile because of red tape. He takes keen interest in politics

Name: Raj Kishore Singh, 62

Profession: Businessman

Education: Higher secondary from AND College, Shahpur Patori, under LN Mithila University, Darbhanga (1971)

Family: Wife Krishna Devi (56), sons Manoj Kumar Singh (41), Rajiv Kumar Singh (32), Manish Kumar Singh (28) and daughter Supriya Singh

Place: Shahpur Patori, around 50km north of Patna, in Samastipur district

Do you earn more or less, compared with 2005?

Of course, we earn more compared to 2005. But our expenses have increased manifold

Do you save more or less compared with 2005?

Undoubtedly, we save less. Income has not increased in proportion with expenses because of price rise and inflation

What things does your house now have that it did not have in 2005?

A colour television, refrigerator, cellphones, etc

What things do your neighbourhood have that it did not have in 2005?

Availability of power has increased (10-12 hours). Roads have become motorable and new bridges have been constructed in the area

Where do you buy your grocery from, malls or the corner store?

There is no shopping mall at the sub-divisional headquarters town, so the people purchase grocery items from the departmental stores in the neighbourhood. I think there should a shopping mall in this sub-divisional town

Do you shop round the year or only before Diwali, Chhath, Id etc? Has this changed over the years?

Since we belong to a family with an agricultural background, there is no need to purchase food items. We mostly shop before Diwali and Chhath

Do you own an AC? Did you own one in 2005?

No. We don't have one as of yet. Those who have installed ACs are repenting their decision because of the low voltage. Only a few families in the town, especially the traditional businessmen families, avail this facility

Has MGNREGA made any difference to your life? How?

No. We are least interested in it

Do your children go to school? In your family, did children go to school earlier? If it's a government school, then has there been any change in standards/infrastructure?

My children have studied in a local college named after Acharya Narendra Dev. But the education standard is not up to the mark. The teachers seldom come to the classes and discipline is also a matter of concern. The government should look into it

Has the midday meal made any difference?

No. We have nothing to do with the midday meal as our children are grown up

Is there any difference in the food you can afford now and what you could 10 years ago?

The children often visit food joints (preferably twice a month) but this was not the case a decade ago. We used to visit village fairs and not restaurants and fast-food vendors like our children

Do you encounter more corruption or less in your daily life? Can you cite from personal experience areas where you are directly affected by corruption?

Yes, the level of corruption has gone up. Particularly after the break-up of the JDU-BJP alliance. Public servants demand more money as bribe compared to the time the BJP-JDU alliance was at the helm of affairs in the state. No work can be done without greasing the palms of the officials. This is prevalent at all levels and in all government offices

When was the last time you ate outside the home with your family?

About a decade ago. We get little time to go out. Yes, we do have special dishes at home on the weekends. My two daughters-in-law prepare special dishes of our choice and we sit to dine together. This culture is vanishing from society now

What was the last movie you have seen and when?

The Amitabh Bachchan-Hema Malini starrer, Baghban, about a decade ago. Another Hindi movie I liked a lot was Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978). No Hindi movie of late has attracted me to visit the cinema

Describe the biggest changes in your life since 2005

Nothing of that sort. But our lifestyle has changed. Earlier, we used to depend on agriculture. Now, the whole family is focused on business. A decade ago, we used to move on bicycles, now we have motorbikes

What is your biggest regret in the past 10 years?

I could not set up an industry to provide jobs to unemployed youths. Had my dreams been fulfilled, even my sons would not have been unemployed now. I couldn't help my children get a job despite them being meritorious. All my three sons have completed bachelor of computer applications and MBA but are still looking for jobs. Merit is denied. As a result, meritorious students are feeling frustrated. The monster of corruption is eating into the vitals of the country

What is your biggest achievement in the past 10 years?

We have retained the business even after many ups and downs in life. Our business has expanded too and so is the case at home. Earlier, we were living in our ancestral home but now, have built a new house

Are you happier or sadder now? Why?

We are more or less happy. We earn enough to run the family. However, this is not sufficient. Hope the new government promotes the agriculture sector and improves work culture. Improvement in law and order should be visible, which is not the case now

Decade Decoder is an occasional election feature that seeks to bring out through a question-and-answer session whether lives have changed for the better or the worse in the past 10 years of Nitish rule