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The Eight StrokeEngine

Bankura: Basudev Acharia

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The Eight StrokeEngine
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Acharia being chairman of the parliamentary central railways standing committee, connectivity has largely happened through the railways. Some of his recent achievements include getting the Rajdhani Express to stop at Bankura and doubling the frequency of train services to Vellore, an important centre for medical treatment. This has been immensely popular with the locals. Moreover, improvement in rail connectivity has led to easier transport for industries (for carrying coal and iron ore) and has thereby generated employment.

As expected, this has greatly reduced poverty in the region. In 1977, 57 per cent of the population lived below the poverty line. That figure has dropped to 26 per cent. Acharia has also focused on large-scale irrigation projects which have enabled farmers in vast areas like Onda to cultivate vegetables throughout the year. They also can use the rail connectivity to send their produce to as far as UP. But access to drinking water is an area that needs attention.

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As regards healthcare, Acharia has got hospitals constructed for bidi workers and leprosy patients, sanctioned Rs 15 lakh for providing free ultrasound facilities to the poor and added a new ward at a subdivisional hospital.

Given the large tribal population in his constituency, Acharia has even pioneered in Parliament the movement to make Santhali an official language. Given such an enviable track record, it is often said fighting against Acharia is akin to committing political hara kiri. But that hasn’t stopped the heavyweight contender, former Calcutta mayor Subrata Mukherjee, from taking him on as the TMC-Congress alliance candidate.

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