The Report - North 24 Parganas

pond. He also says that the people, who had worked on his pond, includinghimself, were not made to sign anything or write anything as to how many daysof work they had done or how much they were to be paid for it. The workers hadgone to the bank told by the Panchayat and had collected the money fromthere, after having shown them the job card. Sardar has no idea when the 100days would be covered. He has worked in other people’s ponds as well. All hehas been told is that there are other ponds to be dug and that he would beinformed in time for the work. He is not able to say how much he had withdrawnfrom the bank each of the three times he went there. Sardar says that he spentthe money to go to a private doctor and other household expenses. He says thathe had given the whole money to his wife but that nothing could be saved. Thesoil dug up from the pond was distributed over an area in the field which made ithigher ground for vegetable farming. He has planted cauliflower, French beans,and spinach and egg plants there.Nagen Sardar had got about three kilos of various types of fisher lings like shrimpsand ruhi which he would be selling once they grow and start breeding. Theshrimps that he has would sell for about five hundred rupees a kilo and wouldgive him a good income in the future, says Sardar.Sardar says, “Poor people like us do not dare to dream because we know that itis never practical. Moreover it is very difficult to say what I shall do if ever I get aloan from a bank or the Panchayat. There are just too many ends to be met.” Healso says that in case he is able to get a loan he would prefer to buy land wherehe would be able to cultivate rice than anything else as he thinks that even if hetakes up poultry farming, he would need to feed the fowls with the husk and rice.He does have some ducks and hens but the family consumes the eggs. There isno regular income that Nagen Sardar can fall back on. He says that he doeswhatever work is given to him and that might be just for two days and for the restof the week he might be sitting at home without any work.The Sardars are not at all aware of women self help groups as no one has evertold them or explained to them about it. They have no access to television orradio as they live in a remote area. Nagen Sardar does not mind his wife, BalaSardar joining such a group if given an opportunity. However they have not theleast idea about how it works or how one might go about it.Nagen Sardar wants to plant mahogany and eucalyptus plants in the future asthey sell well for very high price. He would have to think twice before taking sucha step because he would not want the rice cultivation to suffer due to the treesand he also adds that as he has only one and a half bighas to count on, hewould have to think of new land. From where he would get the money from for