Gulf money & plush houses give Gopalganj, Siwan a swanky face

SIWAN/GOPALGANJ: The remote villages of Siwan and Gopalganj give Bihar an unexpected, new look with their palatial buildings, money transfer offices and currency exchange centres. The twin districts could well top the list in the state on foreign remittances.The number of post offices that have tie ups with Western Union is up to nearly 400 in these districts.

The Siwan-Gopalganj general post office (one zone) received 62,000 international money orders via Western Union in 2014-15, says Anil Kumar, who was recently transferred from Bihar to Jharkhand as post master general (business development and marketing).

Bihar came second in the coun try in terms of foreign remittances receiving a total of over Rs 1,800 crore through post offices in 2014-15. Remittances, particularly to the twin districts, come mostly from the Gulf, Kumar said. “Money flows like water during elections.Look at the palatial buildings of Akhopur, Bindusar, Orma and Khalispur in Siwan.Every household has at least a two members in the Gulf,“ says Mohd Saddam, an engineering student of Bindusar. Most of them work as masons, helpers, carpenters, fitters and drivers.“Siwan's economy revolves round remittances from the Gulf,“ another villager claims. This money flow is viewed as a key factor in election time and the seizure of foreign currency here smacks of possible foul play , allegedly by some politicians and their kin.

There's no official data on remittances during elections. But bank officials and post office employees don't rule out the possibility of a spike in Gulf money flooding the districts during polls.

“There are several candidates whose friends and families are settled in the Gulf. They contribute huge sums to their friends during polls,“ a local banker says. Over 1 lakh people sent remittances though Western Union. Among Muslims, the change is evident from the education they get for their children. Boys go to English-medium schools and cities for professional courses. Mohd Illiyas of Akhopur village went to Doha in 1989 as a driver. His son has a management degree from a private university .