Sinha takes class in Hazaribag | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Sinha takes class in Hazaribag

PTI | BySuman K Shrivastava, Hazaribag
Apr 18, 2004 02:54 AM IST

"Don't pilfer power? it's a huge drain on the public exchequer. Don't litter your village with polythene bags ? it upsets the ecological balance."

"Don't pilfer power… it's a huge drain on the public exchequer. Don't litter your village with polythene bags … it upsets the ecological balance."

HT Image
HT Image

A run-of-the-mill politician would have avoided the didactic talk, particularly in the election season. But a politician of the stature of external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha, seeking re-election from Hazaribag for the third time, can afford it. And he knows it well.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

A small section of the people did resent it. "He does not talk like a politician. He is still a bureaucrat."

Yashwant, however, is unfazed. "Election time is also education time. I don’t only ask for votes, I also advise the electorate," he said, while hopping from one village to another.

"Elections give me time to visit villages. After elections will be over, I'll come down for merely two-three days in a month. It is not possible to visit such villages at short intervals," he admits.

Campaigning in Pali, a village in Patratu, Yashwant fumes on seeing polythene bags piled up in a corner. A young boy in the crowd shot back, "Why don't you get polythene banned".

"Yes, I have asked the district administration to ban it. But it is more important to be aware of the ecological hazards," pat came the minister's reply.

The villagers even got a piece of Yashwant's mind regarding the power crisis. "If you get power by hooking the main supply line, then the power supply is not accounted for. However, the Patratu thermal power station will charge the Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB) for it. Ultimately, the JSEB has to bear the extra burden."

At one place he asks women to form mahila mandals. "Our men will link you with banks and you'll be able to supplement your family's income," he told them.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Mukhtar Ansari Death News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On