Rai: Miles to go

Jamshedpur, March 31: Jamshedpur West legislator Saryu Rai seems to remember the promises he had made before Assembly election.

His constituency, which is plagued by problems of drinking water, electricity, health and hygiene, will see better days if Rai keeps his promises.

Rai told The Telegraph, ?Whatever promises I have made before the poll in the manifesto would be fulfilled within a few months. The basic issues of drinking water, slums, electricity and general health and hygiene will be solved soon.?

Rai has turned his eyes on micro and macro planning for an overall development of the steel city.

Besides a common BJP manifesto for the state, Rai had brought out another manifesto for the Jamshedpur West constituency area, which promised to solve the perennial problems of water crisis, lack of electricity, granting ownership rights to residents of unauthorised slums and improvement in health and hygiene.

There are plans to rope in big corporate houses, infrastructure and housing development companies and government departments to fulfil the promises made before the poll in February.

With several Tata group of companies registering the highest production this financial year, they should take more interest in infrastructure development.

Besides, the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (Hudco) has also shown an interest in developing housing and other infrastructure in the city.

He added that the steel city has potential to become the largest economic and industrial hub of the eastern part of the country.

?After a formal talk with different cross-section of the society, I will meet the chief secretary and finance secretary to let them know about the suited model of development for the steel city,? said Rai.

Rai reiterated to hold a ?development dialogue? between five eastern states of the country ? Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa and Chhattisgarh.

?Despite being endowed with vast natural resources and natural ports, the people of the eastern part of the country are still deprived of development,? he said.

Rai said the eastern part of the country has been left out of major industrial and agriculture boom because of the step-motherly treatment by the successive Union governments.

?That is why there is a need to hold a development dialogue between representatives of big corporate houses, government, non-government organisations, people?s representatives and the media,? Rai added.

Due to its strategic location, the steel city would be centre point for the ?development dialogue?. ?All sort of micro and macro issues will be discussed during the meeting,? said Rai.