Tarapur: Bihar’s deputy chief minister, Samrat Choudhary, has paid tribute to 34 martyrs in Tarapur, likening their sacrifice during India’s freedom struggle to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Speaking at a commemorative event on Saturday, he highlighted Tarapur’s role in the independence movement, where, after Punjab’s Jallianwala Bagh, the highest number of people lost their lives in a single instance of British repression.
Choudhary expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for acknowledging the historic sacrifice in his Mann Ki Baat radio address and to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for approving the construction of a memorial to honour the martyrs.
As part of his visit, the deputy chief minister announced a series of infrastructure and development projects worth Rs 72 crore for the region. This includes Rs 30 crore to upgrade Tarapur’s 30-bed hospital into a 100-bed facility and Rs 25 crore for the expansion of RS College, the area’s only government-recognised institution.
In a bid to improve connectivity, Choudhary also announced the construction of a bridge in Tarapur at a cost of Rs10 crore, which is expected to benefit thousands of residents in the Banka, Bhagalpur, and Munger districts. Plans are also underway to develop Tarapur as a tourist destination, with Rs 5 crore allocated for the project, alongside the construction of a ring road.
Choudhary, who hails from Tarapur, described himself as the region’s “guardian” and recalled his first major initiative as a minister in 1999, when he oversaw the construction of a bridge in the area.
He thanked labour minister Santosh Kumar Singh for approving 1,700 government job vacancies and urged local youth to take advantage of the opportunity. He also pointed to the allocation of Rs 1,800 crore for irrigation projects covering 17,000 hectares of land in Tarapur-Kharagpur.
Choudhary further noted that the central government’s latest budget has promised multiple greenfield airports and expressways for Bihar, with a major airport planned in nearby Sultanganj.
He concluded by stating that continued investment in development projects would help realise the dreams of those who sacrificed their lives for the nation’s independence.
