Pappu Yadav turns home to sarai for Bihar's needy

At 11A, Balwant Rai Lane, the official residence of Lok Sabha MP Pappu Yadav, Shadiq Khan is a busy man. The house has been converted to a sarai for patients and their attendants coming from different parts of Bihar for treatment in the Capital. As Yadav's Personal Assistant, it is Khan's job to make sure that his leader's vision is converted into reality without any hassles.

The success stories of this noble endeavour are many. For instance, when 36-year-old Vijender Ram was diagnosed with a heart valve disease, he bore the news as a death sentence. The labourer from the Madhepura district had no money for expensive treatment, while queues outside government hospitals were too long.

Ram then came to know about Yadav, the 'messiah' of poor people, who has been helping the needy since 1998. He immediately came to Delhi and with Khan's help, received Rs 1,25,000 from the Pradhan Mantri Rahat Kosh. The remaining Rs 25,000 required for the surgery were given by the party. On May 5, 2017, Ram's valve was successfully replaced and he is currently living in the sarai for the follow-up checks.

"Powerful people have been deceiving the common man for long. I just want them to have a place where they can go, talk, trust and see results," says Rajesh Ranjan, alias Yadav. "Instead of looking at issues of temples and reservations, I say we take care of their basic needs first. I am trying to help as much as I can. It is for my own peace of mind and conscience," he adds.

At any given time, the house can accommodate nearly 250 people. A dedicated staff of three helps these people visit hospitals, meet doctors, conduct tests, and, in some cases, arrange for alternate free options. A kitchen serves them food two times a day, and over 60 kg of rice, along with dal and vegetables, is cooked every day.

Vijay Yadav, one of the staffers on AIIMS duty, dropped out of school in Class VIII. But now, he confidently talks about cardiology, nephrology, and neurology cases in detail. His work includes taking nearly 25 patients with him to AIIMS and making them meet senior doctors as per appointment. He knows all department heads at various government hospitals personally. For his work, he gets paid Rs 9,000 per month.

With the help of Yadav, as many as 20 cardiology-related surgeries are performed at various locations in Delhi every month. Also, at least 30 chemotherapies or radiotherapies and seven to eight nephrology cases are dealt with every month. Some patients and their attendants have been living here for over 12 months. A similar sarai runs in Patna as well, and staffers at both locations coordinate among themselves.

Maintaining the sarai costs about Rs 4 lakh a month, and as per the staffers and Yadav, this money comes from various sources, such as donations by people known to the MP.