Raghopur (Vaishali), Oct. 10: Life has not changed much in Raghopur — from where Tejaswi Yadav is contesting — after 15 years under the Lalu Prasad-Rabri Devi regime and 10 years under Nitish Kumar.

Residents of this riverine area still depend on country-made boats to reach Patna. There is a pontoon bridge that is largely unutilised because it cannot be installed if the water level is high. During high tide, the bridge has to be dismantled, leaving a huge population with no option than to risk their lives and board country-made boats. Raghopur Assembly segment includes Bidupur and Raghopur blocks that together have 44 panchayats, accounting for around 2.9 lakh registered voters.

Rivers surround around 20 panchayats in Raghopur block. Residents here use boats to reach Kacchi Dargah. 

“Neither Lalu nor Nitish was able to solve this problem in the past 25 years. Every time we have to catch a boat to reach Patna. There are no other options. This journey is very risky. The boats are always overloaded,” said Sunil Kumar, a resident of Rampur Shanchan in Raghopur, who is a daily wage earner in Patna. 

Around 50 country-made boats are stationed at Kacchi Dargah in Patna. One has to pay Rs 5 to cover the 750m-distance from Patna to Raghopur. Many even take their bikes or cars along, paying Rs 20 or Rs 200, respectively.  The journey takes 20-30 minutes and is not without its share of tragedies. 

Raghopur is traditionally a Yadav-dominated RJD seat, but there are also Rajput-dominated villages like Fatepur, Rastampur and Mallikpur in Bidupur block. The electorate’s disenchantment with the Lalu-Rabri regime was evident when Rabri lost from here in 2010 against the JDU’s Satish Kumar, who has now switched over to the BJP. 

Talking about their perennial problems in the absence of a permanent bridge, Ram Naresh Singh of Mallikpur village said: “It is worse in winter when dense fogs settle down and boatmen are unable to see through. Many a time, boatmen lose track and head in the wrong direction. Many boats collide with each other, causing extensive damage to boats as well as the people travelling on it.”

Recently, chief minister Nitish Kumar laid down the foundation stone of a new, six-lane bridge from Kacchi Dargah to Biddupur. Once built, it would lessen the woes of people who have to forever depend on boats. But residents are sceptical about the project and believe it is a political stunt to woo voters ahead of Assembly elections. Even Raghopur candidate Tejaswi Yadav has been claiming the project was sanctioned after the RJD began supporting the Nitish government. “I am very much aware about the problem. But it will soon be solved as the Nitish government has already decided to construct a new bridge. It was made possible after the RJD began supporting the JDU,” said Tejaswi, who, too, has been travelling to Biddupur by boat. 

Raghopur residents have made up their mind to vote for candidates who can solve their perennial problem. Raghopur goes to the polls in the third phase, on October 28, and this issue would play an important role in deciding the fate of candidates. 

Rita Devi, a resident of Dilwarpur village, said: “There is only a primary health centre in Biddupur. During emergencies, residents rush towards Patna. It is worst at night as no boatman dare sail in the dark. If they agree to, they charge rates too high for my family to afford.”