The Report - North 24 Parganas

1. BIMAL SARDARNREGA has the potential to generate increased savings and ensureenhanced well being of the people in the villagesBimal Sardar is 45 years old. He is from Bispur, Hingalganj. He is primarily a farmerand has wife and three children. Bimal has also been fortunate to become agrandfather very recently. With his meagre incomes he has only been able tomanage the expenses of his elder daughter’s marriage. Because the family istoo big for the piece of land he owns, Bimal has to spend time working on thefield of other land owners.Bimal has received primary education up-to class III only. But he hopes toprovide primary education to his children. “If I am able to educate my children,then they might be able to lead a better quality of life. I hope they can findproper skill based jobs for themselves with some amount of education.”Bimal says, “I think we are barely surviving. But situations have improved frombefore. In the past, I would not be able to afford the cost of wearing a vest.Before my children were even smaller and the entire responsibility of thehousehold was on me.”The family has about one bigha of land but none that is used only for cultivationpurposes. A pond has been excavated on three kathas of land and about Rs.15000 has been sanctioned for it’s excavation. Bimal and his family grow somevegetables around the pond. The monthly earnings total to about Rs. 200 and300. The daily expenses of the family amount to Rs. 75 to Rs. 80 making it quiteimpossible for the family to afford at times. “If there is food for one evening, thenthere is none for three,” Bimal says. Bimal also owns some cows. But the cowshave become old and therefore they do not provide a lot of milk. In addition, hehas also mortgaged a piece of his land for some extra funds which has to bereturned before the year ends so that the land is not lost for cultivation for a year(a general norm is that if loans related to mortgaged land are not returned withinthe season of cultivation of an year, the land becomes irretrievable for anotheryear).“I haven’t received loan for increasing opportunities of work. I haven’t receivedthe form for application of such loans and hence could never apply for one.”Bimal thinks that selling off his two old cows and replacing them with two newwould help him increase his earnings as the new ones would produce more milk.The village also needs some support for infrastructural development – there areno roads and electricity in the village. Lack of education among women is also atop priority issue that needs to be addressed he feels.