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NEWS
Teesta Irrigation Project : A happening

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Staff Reporter

There are sixteen villagers in Maynaguri block in the district of Jalpaiguri in the state. The area of this block is 643.84 sq. kilometers. According to population census of 1991, 2 lakhs 41 thousand 282 people live in this block. Scheduled caste & tribes also belong to this population. It is mainly agro-based area with only one tree garden. There is no industry. With the help of capitalists and bureaucrats, the agricultural land has been shifted to tree gardens. In this block, the ten-tree gardens which exist have been newly formed. Once upon a time, Zaminders governed the agricultural system of this block. To prevent the exploitation of Zaminders , the foundation of agricultural movement is strong by the process of revolving the vested land. The Left Front has been elected in sixteen village panchayets, three assembly as well as two Zilla Parishad seats and Panchayet Samity after the ruling in power.

A dramatic change has occurred in the case of agriculture, irrigation as well as transport and communication of these sixteen village panchayets of Moynaguri block during the period after 1977 due to the application of panchyatee system by the Left Front Government in West Bengal. In this agro-based area, the agricultural production has increased. During the period when Congress party was in power, then there were electric wires but electricity was not available.

There is increase in the facility of small and medium irrigation under the panchayet system; it is also a lack of necessity. Due to the effects of this small-medium irrigation, the agricultural production has increased. In this block farmers were facing a financial repression caused by the under development of agro-based industry, market facilities of agricultural commodities as well us preservation of agricultural commodity. By using the repressed financial repression of farmers, the capitalists entered into the agricultural production system and they demanded the share in farmer’s production. In another way, the dishonest bureaucrats were issuing the certificate in favour of non-agricultural (and against the agricultural land).

Gardens have already started. Submitting to the authority of prospective Tree planter the small-medium farmer sell off their land. They are also motivated to take the extreme step of sale of their smallholding as they are denied of remunerative prices from producers. In their attempt to derive benefit from the local problem the previous Zaminder-Kulak class, who are segregated from the social life on all possible ways are regrouping to establish their vested interests in various corner of the districts. Aided by the conspiracy of the imperialist forces, militant regionalism, provisionalism and divisive forces are raising their ugly heads. These forces are active some where utilizing languorous and religion elsewhere. They are disrupting the unity among the poor people sponsoring the demand for the so-called Kamtapuri or Uttarakhand states.

The immediate needs of farmers of Moynaguri thana Committee are to increase marketing facilities of agricultural commodity, preservation of this as well as irrigation for agriculture. If there is further development of irrigation of this area then agricultural production will be increased with the change in other infrastructure.

To solve these problems, the minimum requirement is to finish the work of proposed canal, which is located at the left side of Tista irrigation project. This project will cover most of the Moynaguri block. For this reason, a major part of the divisional office of Tista project has been formed at Moynaguri under thirty seven acres of land, having all the infrastructure facilities like office, car, quarters, employees etc. Yet there is no development of this proposed work. In so many places of this block, the work has been totally stopped due to the burocrative problem as well as slackness of work. The quality of the work is very poor which has already done in Mal block due to the mal practice of bureaucrats and contractor. To maintain the infrastructure of Tista irrigation project, the Left Front government of West Bengal spends the amount of three crores of rupees per month but there is no return as compared to expenditure. The Krishak Samity has been given deputation to the district Magistrate dated 21st April'99. The charter of demands includes the following.

  1. To acknowledge Tista irrigation project as a national one
  2. To accelerate the work of left-hand canal of Tista irrigation project.
  3. To close the misuse of Government money as well as to take the step against the male practice of bureaucrats and contractor.

The procession of eight thousand farmers came in a deputation to the District Magistrates with placards and poster of the charter of demands. They had come from the sixteen remote villages of Moynaguri block; they also covered 20 K.M. It started from morning 10-15 A.M. To inspire as well as support for the farmer’s demand the 'prabah' which is the Moyaguri branch of 'Bharatiya Ganantya Sangha' Pragati Group of Moynaguir also came in this procession. The old and handicraft farmers had also been in this procession. The slogans of this procession were ‘We want more irrigation. We want more water. Farmers will produce more crops by the help of water of Tista’.





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