Asset declaration is an occasional election feature that seeks to bring out through a question-and-answer session whether lives have changed for the better
or the worse in the past five years

Arindam Dutta, a businessman and widower, lives on the fringes of Calcutta, in Maheshtala that comes under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency

Name & Age: Arindam Dutta, 52

Education & Profession: “I hold a postgraduate diploma in marketing management and run my own business,” Dutta said

Family & Place: “I live with my 77-year-old mother and teenaged daughter at Akra,
Maheshtala”

Do you earn more or less, compared with 2019?

I earn more now compared to 2019. Previously I used to earn ₹5 lakh per annum but now it has gone upto ₹7 lakh per annum

Do you save more or less compared with 2019?

I can save more compared to 2019 because I have made some curtailment in my expenses. Earlier, I could only save ₹7,000 per month but now, I save nearly ₹15,000 per month

What things does your house now have that it did not in 2019?

A new car

What things does your neighbourhood have that it did not in 2019?

I must say, there’s been a significant improvement in my neighbourhood. Previously, during rainfall, we used to struggle with waterlogging, but that’s no longer the case. The roads, streetlights and sanitation have all undergone noticeable enhancements. Moreover, the quality of drinking water has also improved significantly

Have central/state govt schemes made any difference to your life? How?

The impact of central government schemes on me has been quite distressing. I established a skill development company and implemented one central government scheme, ‘Minority shikhao aur kamao’. The scheme funded by the
Union ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship was aimed at providing training to unemployed youths from the minority community. Initially, it received funding from the central government. However, from 2015-16, the central government stopped payments, leaving me with a debt of ₹50 lakh

Do your children go to school? If it’s a govt school, then has there been any change in standards/ infrastructure?

Yes

Do you encounter more corruption or less in your daily life? Can you cite from personal experience areas where you are directly affected by corruption?

I perceive a reduction in corruption, evidenced by my personal experiences. Back in 2012, when I applied for a ₹5 lakh bank loan, I had to pay a 5 per cent bribe to the bank manager for the loan to be sanctioned. However, in 2023, when I sought a ₹10 lakh loan from the same bank, I didn’t encounter any such demand

Diamond Harbour votes on June 1