Bihar polls: Muzaffarpur residents reject Smart City plan, want basic amenities instead

It has been selected as one of the three smart cities for Bihar, but residents continue to battle with potholes, waterlogging, and overflowing drains, and feel that politicians instead of 'selling big dreams' to people should focus on providing basic amenities first.

One of the most important districts in the state after capital of Patna, Muzaffarpur in north Bihar falls in the historic Tirhut region, and has 11 Assembly seats under it. 55 constituencies in seven crucial districts including Muzaffarpur will go to polls on Sunday in the fourth phase of the high-stake Bihar elections.

34-year-old Anupam Singh, whose family recently opened two small biscuit-making units in the now defunct Bela Industrial Area, says, "Muzaffarpur needs basic civic amenities first before we get ambitious.

"I mean, just look at the condition of roads here, the garbage dumps and overflowing drains, and of course waterlogging, one of the nagging problems of our city. They should be tackled first on a priority basis," he said. Muzaffarpur, Bihar Sharif and Bhagalpur have been selected from Bihar for the ambitious Smart City mission of the Modi-led government, but not many people here seem to be enthused about the project.

23-year-old Arun Kumar, who works in railways, and lives in a village in the Kurhani Assembly constituency, says, "he doesn't know what a smart city is, but I know what I want for our village and the city." "Modiji had come to Muzaffarpur for a big election rally.

I listened to his speech...I have not decided whom will I vote for yet, but I want our candidates to talk of building more and better colleges and hospitals, so that we don't have to go to Patna or Delhi for medical emergencies," he said.

For tertiary care, the city relies on Sri Krishna Memorial College and Hospital (SKMCH) and Sadar Hospital. Bihar prides it as the country s 'litchi city', but every year the bane of encephalitis here gives the state sleepless nights.

Muzaffarpur city has LS College, founded in 1899, the oldest college in whole of north Bihar, MIT Muzaffarpur, and Government Polytechnic Institute, Zilla School and several private educational institutions.

32-year-old Ram Kumar, who dropped out of L S College, says, "It was a prestigious institution in it heydays, when people from different parts of the state and outside came to study there. It has a planetarium of its own, but it is all locked up and lying defunct for decades now.

"Rajendra babu, the first President taught there. Gandhiji on his visit to Champaran stayed there. But, the glory is all gone. And, the reason for our region falling backward is that both Centre and state governments have neglected north Bihar," he said.