Munayem Khan

Boro cultivation is in full swing in Bishhari Haor of Mendipur Union of Khaliajuri Upazila of the district. At present, the cultivation of farmers in the area is being disrupted due to lack of adequate irrigation. It is known from talking to local farmers. Bishhari Haor requires 8 cusecs of water supply for proper cultivation, but 2.5 cusecs of water is being supplied here through irrigation. Local farmers are demanding water supply through electric irrigation on an urgent basis for uninterrupted cultivation in this haor. It is known from talking to the locals that the late Ritish Chandra Sarkar, a friend of the people of the area and a BNP-supported resident of Balrampur, applied to the Khaliajuri Upazila Rural Electricity Office for the haor residents. He took the initiative to ensure adequate water supply to the haor through the scheme. The day the Rural Electricity Authority went to install transformers in Bishhari Haor, the then Khaliajuri Upazila Parishad Vice Chairman and Upazila Awami League Vice President Dulal Chandra Sarkar used political influence and the scheme was cancelled due to party considerations. As a result, locals say that they were blocked from irrigation work due to political considerations at that time. In this regard, the AGM of Khaliajuri Upazila Rural Electricity was held on Friday (December 20) at 8 pm. He said that I have just arrived and I do not know what happened before. However, if irrigation connection is required for the cultivation there, we will arrange the connection if the locals apply. In addition, he has changed the name of Balrampur Government Primary School to the name of his parents. There are complaints from the locals about this too in the name of Dulal Chandra. The headmaster of the school has said that he will change the name within a week. Meanwhile, the locals have raised allegations of nepotism and corruption in the Community Based Water Supply Project in Balrampur village of Mendipur Union. During the on-site inspection, the locals said that the Dulal Chandra government has created a drinking water crisis in Balrampur village by using political influence. A high water tank has been constructed in the area under the supervision of the Public Health Engineering Department, from which drinking water is supposed to be supplied to every house through a pipeline. The locals alleged that the former vice chairman of the Upazila Parishad, Dulal Chandra government, has taken illegal advantage of the project by using his influence to arrange water supply to his own house and the houses of his close relatives. Due to which most of the residents of the village have been deprived of the benefits of this project. When asked about this, the former vice chairman of Khaliajuri Upazila Parishad, Dulal Chandra government, said that he did not show nepotism here. Rather, he cooperated in its implementation. In this regard, Mohammad Mashiur Rahman, Executive Engineer of the Netrokona District Public Health Engineering Department, said that the lists of where these will be installed or to which houses water will be supplied were made by the public representatives earlier.