Jamshedpur (West) MLA Saryu Rai at his residential office in Ranchi. Picture by Hardeep Singh

He was known as kingmaker, not the king, for his behind the scene politics till he decided to successfully contest the Jamshedpur (West) Assembly constituency in the last elections.

Saryu Rai chose to serve 2.5 lakh voters of the steel city despite being labelled a ?Bihari? by his friends and foes as he was born in Buxar and had been a Bihar Legislative Council member.

An M.Sc in physics, this Patna Science College alumnus is considered to be having a mastery on budget preparations, too.

Not surprisingly, Rai, who is credited with exposing the infamous fodder scam, had stumbled upon the gross irregularities committed in the animal husbandry department while studying the Bihar budget in 1994. He is now making a feature film on the scam.

Rai, a former journalist, has done extensive research and writing on finance, agriculture and irrigation. Rai entered politics by joining Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in 1968-69 and was an active member in the student movement. He is the founder member of JP Vichar Manch.

Rai had left the BJP in 1980, the year it was formed. For three years he was an active member of Janata Party. Rai remained in non-political activities for 10 years before returning to the BJP fold again in May 1993.

In an interview with Anupam Sheshank, he talks about his plans to develop his constituency and the state, as well.

lWhat is your focus for your constituency?

Ensuring safe drinking water is my top priority. I personally monitored the drinking water supply during the last summer. I am getting the area mapped as even the Notified Area Committee does not know how many and where the handpumps are installed. I am also forming handpump users committee and impressing upon people to be ready to pay at least Rs 50 per month to get safe drinking water. I am also trying to form mohalla samiti that will be responsible for cleanliness of their respective colonies. While I am trying to develop the urban slums with the help of NGOs, efforts are on to keep pollution in the Kharkhai and Subernarekha under control and for opening a university either in Jamshedpur or in Chaibasa.

lWhat other steps are you taking to ensure safe water supply?

I want Jusco to supply water in my area. Jusco supplies pure drinking water three times a day. I feel people will have no problems in paying a nominal charge for getting pure water. 20-25 houses in slum areas can jointly get one connection.

lA better part of your area falls under Tisco, which is properly maintained by the private company while the area maintained by the government seems to be in bad shape. What steps are you taking to remove the disparity?

I tell my people that they will have to come forward to ensure that the non-Tisco areas are also clean and have proper facilities. The task is difficult, but can be achieved with public participation.

lWhat steps are you taking to remove encroachments?

Lakhs of people have been living in houses constructed on encroached land and are availing all facilities like water, electricity and health. I personally believe it is better to regularise their plots of land by charging a certain fee, which will generate revenue for the government also.

lAre you accessible to your voters?

Yes, I am always available to my electorates. Almost all my voters have my cellular phone number. I have decided from next month to spend three days of a week in my constituency.

lYou are supposed to be an influential politician. Does this mean the problems in your areas are solved soon?

No, it does not help and I am trying to de-class myself. I think that politicians who have less influence deliver more since they can devote more time to their people.

lIs it true that MLAs take commission for works undertaken from their funds. What do you have to say on this?

I cannot say about my predecessors, but I have decided not to charge any commission for work done from my funds. I have decided to get all work from government agencies. Being an MLA I have to lobby for genuine works of my electorates.

lAs an environmentalist, what steps are you taking to ensure the rivers remain pollution free?

Tata Steel is already there and many more companies are joining the fray who are bound to pollute the environment to a certain extent. The minimum prescribed level of pollution needs to be maintained by the companies. I also want government to impose a new pollution tax on industries and the revenue generated through it should be used for environment protection.

lHow does the journalist Saryu Rai assess the government functioning?

I am a critic by nature. I have no hesitation in saying the speed of development is not satisfactory in the state. I have seen the chief minister becoming very dynamic in the last three-four months. The attitude of the bureaucracy is still lethargic. The administrative machinery needs to be tightened up. I want planning to be done at commissionery level instead of state level to improve the delivery system.

lAre you a kingmaker?

No, I do not have that stature. Whatever clout I had is declining now. I have played roles in decision making, but now I am devoting more time to party work and my area. But, I admit I was instrumental in not letting Karia Munda become the first chief minister of Jharkhand and he still remains unhappy with me. I had no personal grudge against Karia Munda and undoubtedly, he has great qualities that can be emulated, but I wanted to promote a new face, Babulal Marandi.