Irrigation Cost
Pabna farmers now to pay in cash not in paddy
Tk 1,200 for Boro, Tk 800 for Aman
Pabna District Irrigation Committee at a meeting held here on Thursday changed the old system of payment of irrigation cost by giving paddy to deep tube-well owners, official sources here informed.
From now on, farmers will have to pay Tk 1,200 to deep tube-well owners for irrigating each bigha of land in Boro cultivation season and Tk 800 for irrigating each bigha of land in Amon farming season.
Earlier, irrigation pump owners took one fourth of their produced paddy from farmers as their irrigation cost.
The decision was taken considering the interest of farmers, said Pabna deputy commissioner (DC) Khondoker Md Mokhlesur Rahman, also chairman of the district irrigation committee.
Minutes of the meeting would be sent to the upazila offices for implementation of the decision, the DC said. It will be a tough job to implement the decision as irrigation pump owners used to take paddy from farmers as charge for irrigation for a long time, he said. Action will be taken against the irrigation pump owners for violating the official decision, he said.
General farmers welcomed the decision saying it will inspire them to increase production, said Pabna Agriculture Extension Department plant protection specialist Md Mahabubur Rahman.
Earlier, irrigation pump owners exploited farmers by taking a major part of their produce as irrigation cost.
Deep Tube-well Owners' Association said the tube-well owners will take a decision after getting the official order, said Atghoria Upazila Deep Tube-well Owners' Association convenor Md Zohurul Haque.
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