The real MLA / MP

The Family
When a candidate becomes an MLA/MP then his constituency becomes his house and all the people his family members. Hence it is his responsibility to ensure that as a head of the family his house is maintained properly and his family is run towards progress.
Anybody who does not treat the constituency like this is unfit to be a leader. People in politics keep saying we are for the people, we are doing service to the people, then let them take the responsibility of the total family.
Let us try to understand what a family head (an ideal public servant) should know or plan to do from a common man’s perspective.

Knowledge about his Family (Constituency)
He should have a fair knowledge about his Family and the house. He should know how many people (families) live, what is their livelihood, what are the assets in his house like educational institutions, hospitals, industries, government offices etc. and what is their state.

Understanding of Critical Issues in his family
Each family or house has its own problems. He should have a fair understanding of the critical issues in his family or house. How are the facilities in and around his house (constituency) like roads, street lights, medical facility, electricity, water, wells etc? He should also know how many uncovered nalas and bore wells are there which may be dangerous for his children. How many of his brothers and relatives are unemployed etc.

Plan for solving Critical Problems
No family head sleeps peacefully when his family and house is in deep problems or critical state. He should always be in pursuit of solutions for his family problems. He should formulate clear cut time bound strategies to solve each and every issue in his family (constituency). He should ensure that the roads are maintained properly, drugs are supplied in time to hospitals, education is imparted to each and every child, water and electricity facilities are provided to all, providing employment or loans to his unemployed brothers (unemployed youth) etc.

Understanding of the ground realities
He should be well aware of the prices of basic commodities, like rice, edible oil and so on. What are the wages of his poor brothers’ i.e., laborers, rickshaw pullers, coolies etc. What will be the monthly expenses for a family of 4 on an average? Will their wages be sufficient to run their family? He should be in a position to suggest proper measures to help them lead a comfortable life.

Revival of his destitute brothers and sisters (Beggars)
He should know how many of his weaker, helpless brethren are in the business of begging and where are they scattered (located in his constituency). He should search for all these beggars in all the places like railway station, outside temples, streets etc. and initiate actions to revive them. He should have adequate plans for bringing them back to mainstream and lead a normal life.

Shelter and facilities for elders of his family
In our society aged/elders are treated as worthless people and are driven away from families. He should setup several homes for aged people and ensure that they are provided with proper facilities. Should also frequently visit these places and find out their problems. Similarly he should also strive to set up Orphanages.

Insurance coverage for his poor brothers and sisters
He will definitely have insurance coverage on his name but how about his poor brothers and sisters like laborers, rickshaw pullers, coolies etc. In a family if the only person earning falls sick or dies in an accident who will support or feed the family? Their earnings are not even sufficient to fetch a square meal a day, then how can they invest on insurance coverage. Hence he should provide insurance coverage’s for all the people using some or the other schemes.

Providing Houses to his brethren below poverty line
As the family head he should be well aware of where all his poor brothers and sisters are living and in what conditions. If they are living below poverty line and in huts then on war footing he should work to provide good houses to all these poor people. This should be planned to be completed within 5 years (his tenure).

Preventing Child labor for his children
No family head would like to see his child work as laborer. It is his utmost responsibility to ensure that children are provided with all the facilities like education and food etc. He should plan to eradicate child labor in his family (constituency) completely. He should visit frequently the places where children are most likely to be used for work.

Corruption
A big family generally has several people and not all people are alike. A few indulge in corrupt practices and hence as a family head he has to visit (surprise visits) their places of work/offices like hospitals, schools, colleges, government offices etc. and check how they are carrying out their activities. If required use some secret agents to check the corruption activities.

Hygiene, Sanitation & Cleanliness
As a head of the family he should educate his people the importance of cleanliness and hygiene. He should ensure that proper sanitation is provided and also ensure that the total house (constituency) is made hygienic. He should propagate the importance of cleanliness to the society by going to people and asking them to maintain cleanliness in their respective areas.

Checking crime rate
Instead of crying after dacoit has taken place it is better to prevent it. So as a family head he must suggest the ways and means of reducing robberies or theft. He should request people (colonies/villages) to collect a meager Rs.50/-or so from all the people in the surrounding area and hire private securities with mobile phones to guard their streets. As a family head he must visit the police stations and enquire the type of offenses or crimes being committed by his brothers. Some good measures like counseling have to be taken and try to reduce the crime rate. If need be revive the people involved in crime and take their responsibilities.

Personal Visits
As a family head he has to take the responsibility of all the people and visit their places frequently, say once in every month or so. Each village or each colony should be visited frequently to find out their grievances, list them out and ensure that their problems are solved within a week’s time. Appoint an individual (if required) for each area to oversee the works being done.

Foresee the future problems
Family Heads always try to foresee the problems in the future and also try to prevent the troubles beforehand. For example even before rainy season starts he should foresee the problems of rain like water logging, pot holes, open drainages etc. and plan for the measures to overcome these difficulties. Similarly try to find out the number of uncovered manholes/bore wells and ensure that they are covered properly.

Use Innovative Ideas
For running a huge family normal income may not be sufficient. Hence a family head will have to use innovative ideas and try to generate sources for funds so that these funds could be utilized for developing the place or setting up orphanages etc.

A true public servant
From the above it is clear that a true family head (public servant) is the one who works for his people round the clock and 365 days a year. Hence an MLA/MP is the one who does not prefer to confine himself to AC cars or rooms but defies hot, humid and sultry whether and goes to interior places to find out the problems of the people. He is not the person who sits in the house eating hot bajjis and pakodas when its raining heavily, instead takes to the streets to see where all water is logged and what kind of troubles the rain is creating, check whether there are any open manholes etc. and ensure that the administration is on the job.

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