The farmers of Chatmohar and owners of irrigation machines are now at loggerheads over the collection of one-fourth of the irrigation equipment for the collection of irrigation charges at the time of boro paddy ripening.
A meeting of privately operated deep and shallow irrigation system owners of Dhulauri area was held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Abdur Razzak at Jordaha (Dakat Vita) near Dhulauri village of the upazila. Former Member of Parliament and owner of deep tube well AKM Samsuddin Khabir, Ataur Rahman Chand, former UP Member Aftab Uddin Sona, Mohsin Ali and others addressed the meeting.
It is learned that according to the custom, the owners of irrigation machines want to take one-fourth of the paddy produced. Irrigation owners are arguing with the farmers about this. In this situation, by making anouncements in different villages, the farmers are happy to ask the owners to give one-fifth of the paddy to the irrigators, but the owners of the irrigators are angry.
AKM Samsuddin Khabir, a former Member of Parliament and owner of deep tube wells, said at a meeting of deep and shallow irrigation owners that deep tube wells (in all cases) cost Tk 1,900 per bigha and shallow tube wells Applicable in the case) fixed at Tk 1,950 but did not give any notice to the owners of irrigation equipment. Even at the beginning of the current season, the Upazila Irrigation Committee did not give us any notice in this regard. No farmer paid for irrigation. Now, just before the harvest, the farmers are being asked to give one-fifth of the paddy by announcements.
In all the adjoining upazilas, the owners of irrigation machines are taking one-fourth of the paddy. Rules of the government must be obeyed, however the rules should have been given in due course.
When it comes to harvesting paddy, war is being waged on the farmers. Some people have to wait in line to prevent a dispute between farmers and owners of irrigation equipment.
They are doing this for the purpose of tarnishing the image of the government. He added that there was a lot of controversy about this many years ago. The then Deputy Commissioner Mahbubur Rahman came to inspect the land and after seeing one crop of the lands, ordered to give one fourth of the paddy.
Abdur Razzak, Aftab Uddin, Mohsin Ali and other owners of irrigation equipment said that the driver's salary has increased and it is costly to move the transformer. The electricity bill has to be paid. Drains cost to clean, irrigation equipment needs to be repaired in case of burns. Labor costs have risen. As the water level goes down, the water pump has to be placed ten to twelve feet below. Sometimes additional irrigation equipment is used to irrigate the land.
We have to be humiliated to produce rice for the farmers. In some years we also have a lot of losses due to storms and hailstorms. Even in this situation we have been producing paddy. If the Upazila Irrigation Committee had notified us before the start of Boro paddy cultivation, we could have decided whether to cultivate paddy or not. Now it is time to harvest rice and this decision is being imposed on us.
Irregular situation is prevailing in several unions of the upazila including Nimaichara and Pashar Danga due to the collection of quarter share of boro paddy by the owners of irrigation equipment. Ordinary farmers want an end to this situation.
Saikat Islam, president of the Upazila Irrigation Committee and Chatmohar Upazila Nirbahi Officer, said there was no provision for taking paddy as per the policy. In order to resolve the issue, after exchanging views with the owners and farmers of deep and shallow tube wells, I have directed to charge Tk 1,900 per bigha for deep tube well and Tk 1950.
I don't know anything about the anouncements to take one-fifth of rice. Irrigation machine owners are talking nonsense. Meetings have been held more than once on the issue. Farmers and owners of irrigation equipment have been informed. However, farmers and owners of irrigators can adjust and buy paddy of equal value instead of money.
