Block supervisor (BS) quarters and seed storages of the Department of Agriculture in four upazilas of Dinajpur district remain unused as they have not been renovated for some time now, depriving many farmers of agriculture related services in the area.
The agriculture block supervisor (BS) of the agriculture department is now re-designated as sub-assistant agriculture officers.
The buildings were basically built in order to preserve seeds in 1960-61 in four upazilas namely Hakimpur, Birampur, Nawabganj and Ghoraghat. Afterwards, many of the seed storages were turned into quarters for agriculture block supervisor (BS) or sub-assistant agriculture officers in 1980-81, in addition to preserving seeds, according to the Dinajpur Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office.
However, officers stopped living in the quarters after 1987 as the buildings became risky due to the lack of renovation. Some officers of the upazila, wishing anonymity, told our correspondent that the seed storages also became unusable because of the same reasons.
To appraise the condition of the buildings in person, our correspondent recently made a visit to these areas where at least 14 agriculture officers' quarters and four seed storages were found abandoned.
During the visit, the quarters and seed storages were in a very dilapidated condition, with the building containing serious cracks, and bricks, doors and windows which have fallen apart.
Some locals have occupied the quarters for many years and started living in the quarters. The abandoned quarters and seed storages have become a safe haven for drug addicts, who also been committing many other unethical activities there.
Several farmers - Mohsin Hossain, Nazmul Haque, Sujon Hossain ,and Shajahan Khan - of the four upazilas said they used to get advice and standard seeds while agriculture officers used to live in the quarters and the seed storages were in good condition. But, they do not get any service or good quality seeds now as as the quarters and seed storages has remained abandoned for many years.
They also added drug addicts are taking drugs and committing many illegal activities in the abandoned quarters, adding, "We demand the quarters are renovated so that we may receive necessary agriculture related services."
After speaking to the farmers, our correspondent also met with some of the officials of DAE of four upazilas to get their take on the current situation.
Nawabganj Upazila Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) officer Abu Reza Md Asaduzzaman said: "The buildings were built in order to render agricultural services and good quality seeds to the farmers' doorsteps. However, the buildings have become unusable due to the lack of renovation and repair.”
Hakimpur DAE officer Shamaima Naznin said: "There are three buildings (office cum quarter) which have been abandoned as they have become ramshackled. Every year, the higher authorities ask us how much money we will need for renovation. However, we have not received any allotment to renovate and preserve the buildings."
Acknowledging the situation, Dinajpur DAE Deputy Director Towhid Iqbal said: "The quarters and seed storages are very old. The higher authorities are working to solve the problem."