Bhangura (Pabna) Correspondent :
Paddy has started ripening in Boro projects of Bhangura upazila of Pabna. But before the harvest of these lands, there was a dispute between the scheme owners and the farmers over the share of paddy. It is feared that the ambivalence could escalate into blown conflict.
Sultana Jahan Bakul, a woman chairman of Ashtamanisha Union, made the allegation at a meeting of the Upazila Law and Order Committee on Wednesday (May 11). He said the scheme owners in this union irrigate the farmers’ lands till the paddy is ripe. According to government rules, one bigha of land under deep tube-well is required to be irrigated at Tk.2500 from 2200. But the owners of the scheme are now demanding one-fourth of the land’s paddy. The farmers have suffered huge losses. Ambivalence has already started between the two sides. There is a risk of collision at any time. That is why he has called for UNO’s intervention.
Aynal Haque and Tamim, both farmer from Rupshi village of Ashtamanisha union,Anis from Banshbaria village said that on an average of one bigha of land, 20/25 man of paddy is produced. The current average price of a ma paddy in the market is Tk.900. If they give one-fourth to the scheme owner, they get double the price fixed by the government. Which is completely unfair. So they want to give one-fifth of the crop.
Meanwhile, the owners of the scheme said that they have irrigated the land throughout the season. For this the farmers did not give them any money. Although the scheme owners were supposed to keep one-fourth paddy on land at the time of harvesting ripe paddy as per the conditions, they are now complaining the opposite.
Md. Yakub Ali, Deputy Assistant Engineer, BADC Bhangura Office, said that according to the circular of the Materials-1 branch of the Ministry of Agriculture, the scheme owners have been asked to pay Tk. 2200 to 2500 per bigha of land for irrigation.
Md. Nahid Hasan Khan, president of the Upazila Irrigation Committee and Upazila Nirbahi Officer, said that even though they were supposed to pay for irrigation, the farmers could not pay it before harvesting the paddy. So in most places they are giving one-fifth of the crop produced to the scheme owners. He also said that he would instruct the scheme owners of Ashtamanisha Union to abide by this rule.
Photo caption – Bhangura (Pabna):A view of the Boro field of Ashtamanisha union in Bhangura upazila of Pabna.
