A group of angry villagers, mostly women, demolished an illegal pig farm with alleged Trinamool links on Wednesday evening on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri town, saying it caused pollution and health hazards in the locality.
The women of Dodalia-Morolpara, under the Patkata panchayat of Jalpaiguri Sadar block, assembled near the pig farm that was allegedly being run under the patronage of Krishna Das, the district president of Trinamool's SC & OBC cell in Jalpaiguri, and his close aide, Pradhan Hembram, former head of the panchayat.
The villagers claimed that nearly 1,000 pigs were being reared in an illegal piggery of tin sheds on the bank of the Teesta river near the village.
“The pig farm was operating under the name of one Phuleshwari Sarkar, although no such person lives in our area,” claimed a resident.
Residents claimed that both Das and Hembram were involved in illegal activities, including illegal sand mining from the Teesta, encroachment of riverbed land for fish farming, forcible occupation of agricultural land, and misuse of temple donations. Many businesses linked to Das and Hembram were deliberately registered in the names of distant relatives or fictitious persons to avoid accountability.
Das, who contested and lost from the Jalpaiguri Assembly seat this year, went into hiding after he was accused of attacking a group of BJP supporters. Cops are in search of him.
Resident Namitabala Roy said that despite repeated complaints about the stench, unhygienic conditions, and environmental pollution caused by the piggery, no action was taken during the previous regime because of the clout of Trinamool leaders.
“We could not even eat properly because of the stench from the farm. Children complained of nausea, but we were helpless. We repeatedly requested Hembram to shift the farm, but no one listened,” she said.
Another resident, Sujan Roy, said: “Krishna Das knew everything. We saw how the number of pigs kept increasing with the support of Pradhan Hembram. The entire area became polluted.”
On Wednesday, the women gathered in front of the farm and informed a local Trinamool leader associated with Das and Hembram about their intention to demolish the structure. The local leader reportedly assured villagers over the phone that the farm would be shifted within three months, which enraged villagers.
“We had heard such delay tactics before. Earlier, deadlines passed without any action. Only the number of pigs increased. This time, we decided to act ourselves,” said Lakshmi Roy, a local woman.
Villagers demolished the tin sheds with sticks and stones without informing the police or administration. The pigs fled into the nearby dry beds of the Teesta.
Das and Hembram could not be contacted. Officials of the block administration and the police said they were aware of the issue and were monitoring the situation.