Malda Training Diary - Administrative Training Institute

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Need in 71-72—26 lakhs
Agri HB loans 90 lakhs needed for seeds
Artisan loans: 8 lakhs
Sericulture loans: 21 lakhs
HB grant: 28 lakhs + separately 3.31 crore for floods
Shallow tubewells: 70-71—16 lakhs
71-72—30 need lakhs
GR this year is only 0.2%, i.e. practically nil. BDOs should not, therefore, inflate situations.
Structures of camps left in Ratua-I and Kutubsahar to be give to SOTW as per GO.
BDOs were very resentful over Collectorate staff getting double TA and DA and honorarium
for floods while Block staff who did the real work have not even got tiffin allowance. DM
sympathetically appreciated this and pointed out that those at the centre of power always got
the benefit.
The District Plan meeting consisted of DM pointing out how every dept’s work was interlinked
with that of others and hence need for integration. He asked each dept to submit its
plans by end of June. I undertook to make a précis of the Planning Commission’s book on
“Guidelines for District Plan” to be polycopied and given to each dept. I did this to stop the
DM from giving the sole copy of the book to the PWD Executive Engineer who would only
sit on it. The EE practically monopolised the whole meeting after he arrived late by focusing
all attention on his own problems.
3.5.1972
Work done
8 a.m. to 230 p.m. enquiry at Araidanga
Information
Reaching at 930 a.m. I found the BDO out. Got hold of HC and began looking through
muster-rolls of 29 th (the day on which forcibly staff were made to distribute loans late at
night) to track down whether the petitioners were correct. Found that irregularities had been
made in case of CP loans by giving it to block staff who had lands in another block [see
report for details]. BDO claimed this was OK as all blocks were under the same Collector.
But the relevant GO does not authorise this. Besides there is no certificate from the other
block saying he has not taken any loan from there.
I also called those petitioners who were available. They protested against depriving local
peasants and giving loans to those having land elsewhere and there too not being genuine
cultivators (as they are full time office staff). They alleged large scale irregularity on 29 th
when Adhyaksha’s list of HB eligibility was “lost” and a new list was made by BDO’s people
and money given to several in the same family. I settled 9 th May as the next date of enquiry.
DM called a meeting of all officers under him at 3.30 p.m. and stressed that we all must come
punctually at 10.30 a.m., whereupon the LAOs entered the meeting at 3.45 p.m.!!! The
Spl.LAO is quite an obnoxious person. Anyhow, he was told to speed up matters about
acquiring land for PWD (Roads) purposes.
DM also asked us all to behave politely with the public even if we cannot do anything for
them.
A pension clerk is urgently needed in the Establishment as people newly retiring are getting
pensions only after a whole year. The person is to come from the DPO office, but is not being
released by him for some reason. I have to talk to him about this.
DM had S.N. Roy Chowdhury do verification of CH and then I made out lists of what was
needed. He wants to buy most from Calcutta. Only immediate needs like towels, buckets,
table cloths, we bought locally in the evening. DM wants sober colours only. A decent
crockery and cutlery set is also needed. I might have to go to Calcutta for this.