Malda Training Diary - Administrative Training Institute

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stations & part nos. in the original & final print copies. Found a few clerical mistakes.
Checking of ballot papers begins tomorrow.
In evening I found all hotels closed-- so no dinner besides some chocolate I luckily had. At
DM’s met Bhutobabu. DM told me to send only what I could by 8 th March & sell the rest.
Bhuto & I will go to Nachol on 3 rd to survey route. I am sceptical about what more I can send
as trucks are scarce. DM hopes to reach a final understanding with truck drivers tomorrow.
On my remarking that last 3 years little developmental work had been done owing to
calamities, DM referred to the irrigation schemes into which immense money had been
poured loading to a potential green revolution, also the biggest fishery project in WB was
done by him. The Dept. had mistakenly chosen a site without surveying it, thinking it was a
silted up canal on the map, which could bring water from Bhagirathi to fill the project lake.
Actually it was Gauda’s ramparts! What our DM did was to unofficially get cooperation of
SP, PWD, Sericulture & dig a canal thro’ test relief from there to the lake across police firing
range, sericulture grounds, PWD road! This would have been impossible through applying to
Govt. for sanction. And now it is WB’s biggest project.
I heard Mr. Mirdha is not coming here & that our ADM is going this month as a Dy. Secy.
Bhutobabu said he had seen Bihari Muslims crossing into Malda. Chains have been set up by
dalals between both check-posts and those waiting to cross over. This is a great potential
danger & DM immediately contacted the BSF over this for more alertness.
2.3.1972
Work done
Enquiry in Nandinadaha Gramsabha about House Building Grant [9.30-6 pm; 130 Km. by
jeep; 8 miles by buffalo cart; 6 miles by foot. Total:150 Km approx].
Information
Left at 9.30 with BDO Bamangola and went up to Sathian in the jeep [Chandpukur Anchal].
Crossed Hariya river & went by buffalo-cart to Taltola. Then walked to Nandinadaha village.
The b.cart was a new experience. Quite well padded with blankets and proceeded briskly.
Bullocks would have gone faster, I was told, as buffaloes cannot stand much heat though’
they are much more hardy where mud is concerned.
In the village the Pradhan took us around his village & Rangamati village, showing the
completely destroyed houses. They lack the withal to make these—needs at least Rs.100.
Trouble is they lack know-how & have to employ labour for making the mud walls unlike the
Santhals who rarely wait for Govt. grants. This entire place is on the bank of the Punarbhava,
and lots of shooting by Paks was usual. The people are all 1947 refugees, and have received
maximum relief all through & seem to have become used to getting it! But when wheat is
given, they sell it, being averse to eating it. I soundly rebuked this attitude & the Pradhan
undertook to stop such selling of G.R in future Most lamented having nothing to eat but I did
not see any signs of starvation/malnutrition. They are unenthusiastic about bamboo huts.
Obviously they must be having enough valuable stuff to insist on mud walls. Laments were
made that all crops were being ruined by pests; yet none had ever gone to the AEO for
remedies! That made me sharply reprimand them & they accepted it.
Unfortunately the Punarbhava is Bangladesh’s, otherwise valuable River-lift schemes could
be started at Khutadaha, Nandinadaha, Taltola & Songhat. Also from Hariya river at
Adadanga, Ashrafpur, Dondanga and Hanspukur. Curiously, none wants to take pumps on
loan. All want hard cash & hence go for shallow tubewells which are useless as here no water
is found underground. Along Hariya a few have pumps & are hiring these out @ Rs.5/- an
hour. The result is lush greenery there.
On way back at Taltola people made me visit Haripal village. This is low lying and so worse
ruined. As these are chronic areas, point of giving house building money is nil. They all say