Project to improve farming turns sour

Under a project, a farm in Nilphamari was ready for a welcome change, as authorities were supposed to make its land more suitable for the production of seed potatoes.

To do this, the farm's lowland had to be filled with earth. A fund was allotted to get the required earth from outside the farm. But instead of doing that, contractors, with the farm authorities' approval, dug a deep ditch right in farm to  extract earth.

And so, the establishment did not see that welcome change. Instead, it saw its land being ruined along with reported irregularities.

Three acres of the farm's highland, meant for planting seed potatoes, have been destroyed because of their action.

This has happened in Domar Foundation Seed Potato Production Farm of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC).

Locals claimed that this is a win for the contractors, as they got a part of the earth required to fill the farm's vast lowland for free. They alleged that gross irregularities have taken place to benefit both the farm authority and contractors, as through their action, they have pocketed a part of the fund that was allocated for getting earth from somewhere else.

Wishing anonymity, local labourers working for the contractors said digging continued for four to five months in presence of the farm authority. The project director (PD) visited the site from Dhaka several times but did not take action.

As a consequence of digging the ditch, achieving the project goal of expanding the production area will now face difficulties. The highland, which was recovered by removing unnecessary trees, now cannot be added to the production area.

BADC sources informed that the government has launched a project -- "Maansamponno Bij Alu Utpadon o Sangrakkhon ebong Krishak Porjaye Bitaran Jordarkoran Prakalpa" -- at a cost of Tk 600 crore, to increase production and preservation of quality seed potato as well as strengthen its distribution among farmers.

For the land-related work in Domar farm, like filling lowland with earth, around Tk 12 crore was allocated.

Under the project, various infrastructures are to be constructed in several BADC potato farms, along with filling the farms' lowland with earth and recovering new land for potato cultivation.

Domar potato farm implemented the project's major part in 2021-22 fiscal by filling the lowland and recovering land.

Accordingly, an old mango orchard at the farm's C-Block was cleared months ago to recover three acres of highland, said sources.

About 30 to 33 acres of lowland was also brought under the earth-filling initiative, and contractors were supposed to manage the earth from somewhere else. But with the authority's seeming blessings, the contractors dug a vast ditch in the recovered highland and extracted earth from there.

Wishing anonymity, local labourers working for the contractors said digging continued for  four to five months in presence of the farm authority. The project director (PD) visited the site from Dhaka several times but did not take action.

The contractors also brought earth from outside, as it is not possible to fill 30 to 33 acres with the extracted earth from the farm.

Mominur Rahman (55) of Kumbarir Danga village, whose forefathers donated land for establishing the farm, said, "The farm authority allowed contractors to ruin the land due to vested interests. Our ancestors didn't donate valuable land for such scams."

Md Belim (60), a grocer stationed outside the farm's east gate, said, "They restricted the movement of villagers on a road that goes from the farm to Domar upazila town, so that none could see their misdeeds."

Contacted, Selim Ahmed, one of the contractors and owner of SA Traders, said, "Without the farm authority's approval, nothing can be done inside the farm. As far as I know, authorities allowed the digging to level the surface to make it suitable for seed potatoes."

He, however, said they were supposed to use earth from outside the farm.

He confirmed that after project work related to this was completed, the bill's money was released.

Locals and BADC sources alleged that the farm authority is preparing to file a new, expensive project to fill up the ditch in the name of land development. This potential project is only to hide their gross irregularity and misuse of government money.

For several days, this correspondent made several attempts, over phone calls and text, to reach project director Abir Hossain, but he did not respond.

Contacted, Abu Taleb Mia, the farm's deputy director, admitted to digging the highland and said, "As per the rule, we have cut the land's rugged surface for levelling and removed its sandy upper part, as it is not fertile. The land will be refilled with quality earth later."

He, however, could not answer why contractors dug a deep ditch when they were just supposed to level the land, and why they got earth from the farm, when authorities paid them for getting earth from outside.