The Report - North 24 Parganas

pond. His wife Maya had applied for the digging to get permission from thepanchayat. He wanted to start the fish farming in the pond and also sow somevegetables on all the soil dug up. He has planted some vegetables there. He hasto wait for two years before the fish are ready to be sold or eaten. He has toallow them to breed and grow. The vegetables also must be worked on andwater got for the irrigation. The pond water cannot serve the purpose as there isfish in it now. When asked what he would do during the harvest season this year,he says that as the fish or the vegetables would not be ready yet, he would haveto lease land or do share cropping. Leasing land would incur a cost of fivehundred rupees for half a bigha of land or a thousand for one. The leasing orshare cropping decision is taken depending on the situation. Whichever costsless and pays more is taken up.Munda wants to give his children an education if and when he is in possession ofa lump sum of money. Next he wants to start a whole seller’s business. “I wouldlike to start a vegetable and fruits business. I would buy vegetables and fruitshere and sell them outside. I am well versed in that line as I am working as alabourer at a wholesaler’s and I weigh the vegetables and fruits for the retailerswho come to get the stuff from him. I get money from both parties. It is aprofitable business. Say you take some vegetables to the market you have towait there till a buyer comes to you. Then you bargain with him and sell the stuff.He will buy it and sell it in the market. That’s how it works.” “I have decided that ifI get some money I shall start that business and with the profit I make I shall savea part of it and invest in the business further, with the rest.”This family has never applied for any loans because they know that they wouldnot get it. If the respondent got any money then it would be used to start abusiness. The job card system had been started but it has been stopped atpresent as the villagers are not getting enough work. “The system would do a lotof good to the village if they work on it properly,” Munda says with somedisappointment. He has been given work for a month and has made fairly goodprofits. Many families would be benefitted and the males would not have toleave their homes and families to go and work outside and be cheated. But atthe moment people have to think of alternatives. When asked if he had everapplied for a loan, his wife Maya replies that they did not they as they know thatwon’t get it.“I have worked with the job card and have been given money for the work thatI have done,” he says. He has felt that working in one’s own village is far betterthan going outside. He has enjoyed it. As the work is not regular now, problemshave not been solved entirely but if they get work at least 365 days then thingswould be far better. During the monsoon it is not possible to do the pond worksand then they have to either go out or think of other alternatives if they haveoptions. Other options include harvest of jute and rice or other crops. MayaMunda has also got worked on the job card. She used to carry the dug up soilfrom the pond. Many people went for the work. She says that where there is workto be got everyone flocks there. It was the same when the job card was issued.The Panchayat people and the Gram Community went to all the people who