Fate Bahadur Singh runs Buddha Vihar, a hotel-cum-restaurant at Dehri-on-Sone in Rohtas district, about 165km southwest of Patna. Interested in politics, he was one of the ticket aspirants in the Upendra Kushwaha-led Rashtriya Lok Samata Party for the Dehri-on-Sone Assembly constituency.

But he was denied the ticket. Singh, considered close to Kushwaha, now a junior minister in the Narendra Modi cabinet, comes from a traditional businessman family, dealing in foodgrain in the Shahabad region of south Bihar

 

Name: Fate Bahadur Singh, 42

Place: Dehri-on-Sone in Rohtas district

Profession: Businessman

Education: Graduate from Magadh University, Bodhgaya (1994-95)

Family: Wife Kusum Devi (25), daughter (one-and-a half-monthsold), three brothers - Bhagwan Singh (60),

Srinivash Singh (55),Jang Bahadur Singh (53) - and sister Phuldhari Devi (62)

 

Do you earn more or less, compared with 2005?

More. Our income has increased manifold as the business has expanded. Now we don't rely on traditional business and always look for better avenues

 

Do you save more or less compared with 2005?

We don't believe in saving, interms of money. Since we are businessmen, we invest

whatever we earn. But expenses have, no doubt, increased in comparison to 2005

 

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

Luxury car and iPhones

 

What does your neighbourhood have that it did not have in 2005?

Electricity is available forover 14-15 hours a day and roads have been repaired and made motorable

 

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

From the local wholesale market. Dehri-on-Sone doesn't have a mall culture. Most ofthe people buy their groceries from the wholesale market. If things move in the expected direction, we will have a shopping mall soon at the sub-divisional headquarters

 

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

No, it is need-based. Since we belong to a business family, we mostly shop during the festive season, like Diwali and Chhath

 

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

Yes, today, we have an AC. But in 2005, the family didn't have such facilities. Our economic condition didn't allow to have ACs at home then

 

Has MGNREGA made any difference to your life? How?

No. We have nothing to do with the scheme

 

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?

Since my daughter is only a month-and-a-half old, the question of her going to school does not arise. But yes, my nephews and nieces go to schools. They are enrolled in private schools. The standard of teaching in the government schools is not up to the mark

 

Has the midday meal made any difference?

No

 

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

Since we have a restaurant of our own and the cooks are from outside Bihar, we don't feel the need to visit any restaurant. There is no need to visit food joints in town - they don't match the standards too

 

Do you encounter more corruption or less in your daily life?

Yes, the level of corruption has gone up in the recent past. Public servants ask for money for doing routine work in government offices. You need money to get your work done. Recently, a police team conducted a raid on my hotel at night but did not find anything objectionable. When I tried to know the reason for the raid, the officers asked me to visit the police station. What happened then, I cannot tell you. I pay taxes to the government on time but the attitude of public servants is very objectionable

 

What was the last movie you have seen and when?

Sooryavansham in a local cinema. I liked the movie

 

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

In 2011, when we had gone to Shimla and other tourist places on a week-long tour

 

Describe the biggest changes in your life since 2005

Nothing has changed. Life goes on smoothly. Yes, I actively participate in political activities, which has its impact on the family. But I try to maintain a balance between business and the family

 

What is your biggest regret in the past 10 years?

No regrets. I have achieved what I aspired for. So, there is no question of regrets in my life. But one thing always haunts my mind. I had played an important role in ensuring Upendra Kushwaha's victory from the Karakat Lok Sabha constituency during the 2014 general election but he denied me a ticket this Assembly election. I don't know the reason

 

What is your biggest achievement in the past 10 years?

The hotel-cum-restaurant,Buddha Vihar, that we opened in 2014. We have not only retained the family business but also expanded it. That's our achievement

 

Are you happier or sadder now? Why?

I am satisfied with what I have. There is no reason to be sad