The Report - North 24 Parganas

lender to increase the fishing business that he has in mind, Bimal says that themoney lender’s rate was very high and that he would not be able to return theloan. He would definitely apply for one if the Panchayat gave a facility for thesame.Bimal’s wife is a member of the women’s self help group for the past four yearsbut till date she has not been able to get any loans from there.“There is no use attending the meetings that are held by the Panchayat here asno one takes heed of what we say, so I have stopped attending them. Mynephew goes,” says Bimal when asked why he does not attend the Panchayatmeetings where he could have voiced his needs. The nephew says that as thereare so many poor families in the village and as there is extremely little facilities toprovide for them, most get left out of the welfare schemes that the Panchayathas. So it is useless to attend the meetings at all.Bimal is of the opinion that if his sons get a loan then they would be able toincrease the fish business and then both brothers would be able to remain in thevillage and earn much more than they are earning now. And if they don’t get aloan, then they would have to continue working in the way that they are. He hasa pending loan with ‘somobaye’ long ago and that was cancelled whenCyclone Aila hit the area. He also has small amounts from the neighbours for hisdaughter in law’s delivery and that is still pending. Bimal had borrowed someamount long ago when he had his lands for rice cultivation and now with theinterest piling up, he has to return around fifty thousand rupees in all. “It will bereturned in another year or two,” says Bimal.He says that he would like to start farming lobsters which sells for eight hundredrupees every hundred grams and sells well. He needs a big loan to be able toreturn the money he has borrowed from the neighbours at an interest and also toinvest in lobster farming.Bimal Hazra is of the opinion that women are better off than they were in hismother’s times. The house work has become lighter and they are also going toother states to work as house maids and are earning some money. Those waysthey are not only helping their families but are also are able to fulfil their smallneeds and desires.In conclusion it can be said that though a beneficiary might not have a job carddue to his disability to work, yet he does get the benefit of the pond under theNREGA Project.It is to be noted that the late payment is a major cause for the villagers not tohave applied for job cards as has been seen in the case of Bimal Hazra. He has