Prashanta Barman, the BDO of Rajganj block in Jalpaiguri district, faced protests from a section of villagers on Friday when he told them that funds disbursed under the Laxmir Bhandar scheme could be used to build a road if the women beneficiaries stopped availing of the assistance.
Sources have said that for years, a three-kilometre-long rural road in the North Bengal Farm area under the Sikarpur panchayat of the block has been in a dilapidated condition.
On Friday, a section of villagers, particularly women, staged a blockade on the road around 10.30 am, demanding immediate repairs.
“We have been facing inconveniences for over 20 years because of the road’s condition. Today, we raised a blockade in protest against the administrative ignorance and on the demand that the road should be extensively repaired immediately,” said Nakul Roy, one of the protesters.
Barman, along with some police personnel from the Belakoba police outpost under the jurisdiction of Rajganj police station, reached the spot.
Seeing him, the demonstrators voiced their demand and alleged that despite repeated requests, the administration had not taken any steps to repair the road.
Barman asked them to disperse, which further agitated the demonstrators. As they raised their voices, the BDO lost his cool.
“You are getting free drinking water supply, free ration, and several other benefits from the state government. Now, if you are so insistent on the road, those among you who receive assistance under Laxmir Bhandar, stop taking it. You file applications in my office, mentioning that you don’t need the assistance. This will save some funds, which we will use to build the road,” said Barman.
The BDO’s remarks irked the protesters. A section of them, in fact, told him that they didn’t need the assistance and that he should expedite the process of repairing the road.
“He spoke in an insulting tone… Does it mean that if one receives Laxmir Bhandar, she will have to bear the brunt of travelling through bad roads? We are ready to go by his suggestion and don’t need the assistance. Let us see how fast the repairs will start,” said Sumitra Roy, a woman who had joined the protest.
As the demonstration continued, the police personnel present there intervened. Around 12.30pm, the villagers dispersed.
Barman, when asked about the issue, said the local panchayat or the block administration did not have funds to carry out the repair work.
“We have to get funds from MLA or MP for the work, and that is what I told them,”
he said.