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Boro cultivation in Rajshahi division uncertain
Our Correspondent
2/8/2006
NILPHAMARI, Feb 7: Boro cultivation in the Rajshahi division is in deep uncertainty, as the Agriculture Ministry has suspended the repair work on the defective and non-functioning deep tube-wells of the Barindra Multi-purpose Development Authority's (BMDA).
This has created fear, apprehension and deep disappointment among farmers in all the division's districts, except Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon.
Sources said, in these districts 4,459 deep tubewells have remained inactive for a long time. As a result, 0.742 million (7.42 lakhs) acres of land in this area were deprived of irrigation facilities.
If these deep tubewells could be properly utilised, paddy production would increase 1.652 million (16.52 lakhs) metric tons every year, the price of which would be Tk 150 billion (15 thousand crore).
The project envisaged an expenditure of Tk 3.81 billion (381 crore). However, due to lack of proper planning of BADC the 4,459 deep tubewells, worth above Tk 4.0 billion (400 crore) are gradually becoming unserviceable even falling apart. Electric motors, transformers, and other electric wares, etc., have been either stolen or are overcome by rust.
In November last year, the Agriculture Ministry suspended the activities of BMDA, the organisation responsible for the maintenance of those tubewells, thus creating supreme frustration among the farmers.
When contacted to learn more about the government's suspension of the project, BMDA and BADC officials blamed each other in less than polite terms.
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