STATUE OF FIRST MP AWAITS UNVEILLING FOR FIVE YEARS

STATUE OF FIRST MP AWAITS UNVEILLING FOR FIVE YEARS

13-MAY-ENG 3

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

BUXAR-------------------------The issue regarding the statue of Dumraon's first Lok Sabha MP and former Maharaja, Kamal Bahadur Singh—which has remained ununveiled for five years—has now reached the Legislative Assembly. Action has been initiated following a question raised in the Assembly by Rahul Singh, the JD(U) MLA from Dumraon. The Under Secretary of the Legislative Assembly has sought a written response from the Principal Secretary regarding this matter within ten days.

It is noteworthy that Maharaja Kamal Bahadur Singh of the Dumraon Royal Family passed away on January 5, 2020, at the age of 93. In the first Lok Sabha elections held after independence in 1952, he was elected as an MP from the Shahabad North-West constituency at the young age of just 25. Subsequently, following the formation of the Buxar parliamentary constituency in 1957, he secured a victory in the Lok Sabha elections for a second time. Later, due to changing political circumstances, he withdrew himself from active politics.

Following the demise of the former MP, the then Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, visited Dumraon and, acceding to the public's demand, gave his consent for the installation of his statue. The process for constructing the statue began in 2020. The Building Construction Department completed the site development and statue installation work—at a cost of ₹19,29,100—in the garden situated in front of the Sub-Divisional Office complex.

However, despite five years having elapsed since the installation of the statue, it has yet to be unveiled. To this day, the statue remains covered in plastic sheeting. Raising this issue in the Legislative Assembly, MLA Rahul Singh stated that the failure to unveil the statue constitutes a disrespect not merely toward an individual, but toward the entire society. He demanded that the government ensure the statue's unveiling takes place without further delay.

Following the raising of this question in the Assembly, administrative activity surrounding the matter has intensified. The Legislative Assembly Secretariat has dispatched a letter to the Principal Secretary, requesting that a response to the "Call Attention" motion be furnished within ten days. It is believed that, following the receipt of a response, initiatives towards the unveiling of the statue could gain momentum.