Rabindranath Biswas
Harinagar, June 08: Shri Manojit Halder, Pradhan of Gram Panchayat Harinagar, highlighted a plethora of demands of the farmer community of the areas under the jurisdiction of GP Harinagar.
Speaking to Andaman Sheekha Daily, the Pradhan said that there are certain crucial issues which have been reportedly plaguing the life of the farmer community and which need to be resolved early. Presenting a plethora of issues reportedly affecting the interests of the farmers in the area, the Pradhan has recently written a letter to the Secretary (Agriculture), A & N Administration, Sri Vijaya Puram and urged the Administration to resolve the issues on priority. He said that the geographical status of Gram Panchayat Harinagar comprises four villages: Harinagar, Pinakinagar, Jaipur, and Kamalapur. A large nallah (drain) passes through these villages, and during every monsoon season, it causes severe flooding. As a result, the agricultural land allotted to settler farmers is gradually eroding. This issue has become extremely serious as some settlers have already lost a significant portion of their agricultural land. For many, this land is their only means of livelihood. Despite repeated appeals over a long period, it is unfortunate that no effective initiative has been taken by the administration to address the problem of land erosion. In view of the above, the Pradhan has urged the Administration to take immediate steps to either provide alternate land/compensation to the affected farmers or implement measures to prevent further land erosion.
Sharing another observation on agriculture, Mr. Manojit Halder further said that the local farmers of the areas under his Panchayat have been facing difficulties in collecting agricultural inputs to grow their farm produce. Every season, they are unable to get their required agricultural inputs from the local agriculture depot. But unfortunately, it is stated that provided inputs in the Sub-Depot are not available at the proper time for farming, while the matter is being raised continuously in the Gram Sabha meeting by the local farmers. The main demand of the local farmers is the timely supply of Urea & DAP for both seasons – Kharif & Rabi, hybrid seeds of vegetables, and grafted/budded planting material of fruit plants like sapota, orange, mosambi, etc.
Construction of a Rural Agriculture Market/HAAT under the scheme GrAM of MoA&FW in Gram Panchayat Harinagar is another demand proposed by the Pradhan. According to Shri Halder, the existing vegetable market situated at Billiground Bazar is reportedly currently under litigation in the Hon’ble Court of the Civil Judge (Senior Division), Mayabunder. Due to the pending civil court case, the Panchayat is reportedly unable to undertake any renovation or developmental work for the said market. Therefore, the Pradhan proposed to construct a new Rural Agri Market/HAAT with a Cold Storage Facility under the scheme GrAM of MoA&FW, under Gram Panchayat Harinagar, he said. Suitable vacant revenue land is reportedly available between Billiground Bazar and Swadeshsagar Bridge under the jurisdiction of this Panchayat, which may be identified for the construction of a new Rural Agri Market/HAAT with Cold Storage Facility under the scheme GrAM of MoA&FW, he argued.
Establishing a new market with modern infrastructure and storage facilities will greatly benefit the local farmers, traders, and residents, ensuring smooth availability and preservation of perishable commodities, the letter further read.
