Malda Training Diary - Administrative Training Institute

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sale deeds and hence can’t take large fertiliser loans by mortgaging land. Due to use of IR-8
rice they need heavy loans before harvest. On an average they make a clear profit of Rs.700/-
per acre and are eager to repay loans at once.
After getting back, I had a bath, changed and was back at office. Decided to go with Kar on
anchal panchayat inspection to Samsi tomorrow. Told Raha to prepare figures and data for
my Sericulture paper. Am meeting him at 9 a.m. tomorrow.
2 evacuee drivers have got jobs as drivers in Irrign. Dept. Posts were made by the minister on
SDO’s plea (so SDO told me). But there is some confusion over absorbing Sunil Pandey in
the pool. Once cleaner, Mukul Sil’s name has been put forward and approved by DM—only
his appointment letter has not been signed.
Supervised loading of tubewell materials going to Habibpur. The evacuee tubewells in
Kaluadighi and Kutubsahar are also being sent.
B.B.Mondol, Relief Commissioner in 1971 has been suspended; R.Ghosh is next on the list.
Sudhir Chakravarty told me CBI investigations have begun against S.P.De on charges of
misappropriating Rs.5 lakhs of Women’s College and money from shelter materials sent to
Bangla Desh.
10.6.1972
Work done
Sericulture data gathered
Samsi anchal inspection with D.P.O. 10.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m., 68 miles.
Information
At 9 am sat with Raha, Suptdt. Sericulture, and took various papers from him containing
details about Sericulture. The legend about its origin, however, was not given in detail. The
Encyclopaedia will have to be referred to for this.
At 10.30 am left with D.P.O. for Samsi. Halted en route at Ratua-I, got details from BDO: the
EOP has not audited accounts of this anchal after 1968-69. Many irregularities exist. We
went to the spot, found that the former secy and one of the tax collectors had swiped a lot of
money. A long inspection note was dictated by D.P.O. to me. 2 EOPs of Old Malda and
Habibpur will do the audit and the ex-secy now at Bamangola will be called to explain. The
tax collector claimed he had surrendered all cash to the secy who never gave him any receipts
for this. We also visited the new anchal building in Samsi. Found it occupied by NVF
guarding the FCI godown. Roof needs to be done properly, as it leaks. The Pradhan is also at
fault as he abandoned his duty of checking the cash book to the secy. He is an ex-dacoit and
well off and offered to pay back if it was proved that taxes had been deposited with him, as
the collector also stated.
At 7 pm, Sudhir Chakravarty and I proceeded to TB Deb’s house. Here Sudhir babu read out
his history of Malda. Excellent work with such startling information as that the Kosi and
Saraswati flowed through Malda. Deb offered to try to get it published by Bangiya Sahitya
Parishad. We all exhorted him to finish the book fast.
Sunday, 11.6.1972
Work done
Visited Kharba-I and II offices at Chanchol with DM, 8.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m.
Information
Electricity failure woke me up at 7 a.m. and at 7.30 DM’s peon told me I was called at 8.30
a.m. Had a hurried breakfast [missed lunch completely] and at 8.30 we left for Chanchol. En
route stopped in Kharba-II block area to check TR work. Workers here wanted gangs of 16
instead of the new order of 10. 200-250 are to be employed per scheme.
Kharba-II is doing well on its tubewell programme. Kharba-I is slower as the Youth Congress
scared away contractors and have taken up the work and are going very slow. However, by