Malda Training Diary - Administrative Training Institute

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prior permission first as we had got. DM is possibly rather displeased with MSB over his
over-prudence in election expenses. BDOs have been complaining to DM that those in Zilla
School got lavish food, but not those in BT College.
I secured 4 jerry cans & sent off trucks to Habibpur, Kutubsahar, Harishchandrapur & Ratua
to pick up residue rice. The drivers are anxious to please & but for their political leader would
probably also go to Bangladesh.
With MVIs I met DM who agreed to hire whatever trucks I needed at market rates of
Rs.125/- instead of Rs. 80/-. I hope to get these early tomorrow morning.
16.3.1972
Work done
Delivered Relief material at Rajshahi.
Information
The trucks arrived around 7 a.m. and I had 7 of them loaded with some 244 Quintals of rice
[much of it had got spoilt I am afraid] and 32 bales of blankets. Trucks sent to Block Offices
had not returned, so at 2.30 p.m. we left [R.Kar, S.N.Majumdar, G.C.Chakraborty &
M.S.Bhattacharyya]. MSB got in when we went to collect letters to DC and to District Judge
Dacca. DM told us to take him along. Delay occurred in getting the letters (because DM had
not done them yesterday). Each of us had one small bag containing night wear, toilet
accessories & a bed sheet. We also had permits stating we were on official duty to Bangla
Desh, from the DM.
I found the dirt road much better this time as the freshly put extra earth had been flattened
down & packed hard by trucks passing. However, our silencer’s joint came off and we had to
tie it up & proceed noisily to Sibganj. There at Lokman Khan’s garage (he was killed by
Paks) the nuts were all tightened (they were all loose) & we went on to Nawabganj & found 5
trucks stranded there though’ they had reached at 3 pm as the ferry pontoon run by C & B
Dept. was closed as the workers refused to work without extra payment. So we crossed by
boat & found out Bhuto Babu who took us to SDO. SDO contacted C & B officer and
arranged for extra labour from the ghat at Rs.1 each. It needs 14 men in all. At first he was
going to lend the C & B Razakars from the jail [an illegal act since it was dark! Bhuto at once
suggested local hiring]. He was worried over how to pay the extra money! Luckily the C &
B officer undertook to adjust this.
Then we left around 9 p.m. The DC was out, so we searched out the ADC’s residence, which
was a total contrast to the splendour of the DC’s residence. Probably he has not been able to
get a Govt. residence. He was extremely courteous & immediately arranged for our
accommodation in the best five rooms on Circuit House (CH) 1 st floor. He also told us that
our 2 trucks had reported to the Controller of Food. This was a big relief as I had forgotten to
tell them to report at the C.H. After this we again went to the D.C. & met him. He is 1962
C.S.P., with prominent long side burns, very stylish and highly sophisticated anglicized
Bengali accent. He immediately signed the receipt, & contacted the C & B & Controller of
Food over getting our truck across the very same night. Fulminated a lot against the
unwillingness & irresponsibility of the labourers. “Fruits of Democracy” he said sarcastically.
He was DC Faridpur during the Pak crackdown & only fled at the fag end into Muktanchal.
His sympathies are not very pro-Bangladesh. Not once did he query us about food &
accommodation.
At the CH I found a separate suite for me, as I was known as the ADC/ADM of Malda (this
nomenclature stuck to me throughout despite my actual designation stamped on my card--
anyhow it was most useful!). The mix up occurred chiefly because they do not have such a
probationary post. An Asst. Commr. is a substantive permanent rank.
We had curry & puris brought by S.N.Mazumdar, sharing equally with the driver, and
decided to leave by 3.30 a.m. tomorrow. The DC and Bhuto had advised us to catch the 1 st