Malda Training Diary - Administrative Training Institute

Page 82 of 82
Called on the DM in the evening, and we talked for about an hour, exchanging notes on the
Academy. He was probationer here in 1969 (1968 batch with T.K.Das, our ADM), then SDO
Diamond Harbour, and from March 1971 ADM, Asansol. The last post, he said, was really
tough as it included 3 Divisional HQ of Railways, and highly industrialised sectors with a
couple of processions of sophisticated, educated workers every day. He hoped I would be
SDO at such a spot, since the industrial relations posit a totally new problem.
Malda, he said, is a relief district. If this aspect is well tackled the rest is easy work. He
agreed to take me with him on tours. I told him a little of the muddle in Evacuee
Establishment Accounts as the new HC was a crook. He said he would look into it on
returning from his trip to Siliguri tomorrow [a meeting on Cooperatives]. He also told me to
ring up DC Rajshahi & fix up delivery of the rice. Some jeeps have to be sent to Bangladesh
from us via Cal.
DM said he had wanted to shift me to the Circuit House but Commissioner’s DO forbidding
it arrived yesterday. He promised to get sanitation in DB done soon.
Rather forlorn to see the DM’s bungalow without any crowd of visitors & a generally empty
look!
24.4.1972
Work done
Interviewing 54 candidates for post of Asstt. S.I. of Excise 10.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Farewell tea party for ADM.
Information
Pear Md., Inspector Excise, and I interviewed 54 candidates. 6 did not turn up. Even MA,
B.Com & B.A. pass people turned up & showed ignorance of basic English and G.K. One
insisted that Russia had fired Apollo 16, and that S.S.Roy was our Governor, and that “I love
to play cricket” was through English of “ami cricket kheltey bhalobashi.”
The other probationers sat in for some time to get an idea of the standard I was setting. The 2
posts for SC & ST are already more or less chosen, so just 2 left out of 300! One BSc
schoolteacher could not tell me the Relativity formula! Some (about 3) good candidates did
turn up.
Mr.T.K.Das arrived today, but Mr.Haldar wishes to leave around 3 rd so Das is returning to
Calcutta on leave. Anyhow, Samaddar organised a farewell tea party & we presented “Purba
Banglar Shreshtho Kobita” and “Bidyapati-Chandidas” (Rs.11/- in all).
Terribly hot and terrific dust-storms all the time.
25.4.1972
Work done
Enquiry into ryotwari settlement of khas land in Atgama mouza.
Excise interviews.
Seeing off M. Bhattacharya.
Information
From 7.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. I was carrying out the enquiry standing on the disputed lands, with
villagers, pradhan, VLW, Gram-Adhyaksha [whom many abused as not truthful] and Cong R,
CPI, CPI (M) representatives. The last has made this petition.
I decided to give land to the landless and not to those already having land, however little—
this was acceptable to all. But only 5 plots were available of 0.36 to 0.40 decimal area of
acreage. At the fag end, a fight began between contending landless people, so I quietly left.
One serious case of forgery came up: no such person as Sk. Aijul exists yet land was allotted
to him and he had signed for it. I have asked the JLRO to show me the relevant papers
tomorrow.