Revenue earning from the open waterbodies in the nine upazilas of Khulna district has been declining in the last couple of years due to cases, illegal leasing and corruption.
According to the Office of the Revenue Deputy Collector of Khulna (RDS), a total of Tk38.79 lakh was collected during the Bangla calendar year 1422, whereas the amount was Tk47.91 lakh in 1421. The open water bodies, which are commonly known as Jalmahal are usually leased out in the beginning of a Bangla year and the whole amount is taken as advance revenue.
Out of the 156 jalmahals in the district, 34 are facing cases while 64 have been leased out. The rest of the jalmahals are in the process of leasing out.
In 1999 a case was filed against a jalmahal of Paikgachha and that case has been in the limbo for the last 16 years. During the period the government had lost revenue worth Tk75 lakh. Another case was lodged against the jalmahal of Koyra upazila. A total of Tk2.5 lakh was lost in the last 11 years of the case. Just like this huge chunks of revenue are being lost due to the pending cases.
Moreover, there are allegations of sub-leasing the jalmahals to third parties violating the Jalmahal Management Policy 2009. Those who take the sub-lease put up barricades, embankments and fishing nets to divide the jalmahal as they wish. This resulted in severe disruption of water flow creating waterlogging. The stagnant water affects the fisheries and agriculture of the region.
Solaiman Hossain, a fisherman from Paikgachha, said the powerful people take lease forcefully and divide up the jalmahal. “They just use the farmers to take lease of the jalmahal and then they violate all regulations to make money,” he said.
Moktar Hossain, also from Paikgachha, said a group of unscrupulous government officials had been sheltering the powerful people due to political and financial gains.
Paikgachha Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Kabir Uddin, however, said they had been taking action against those who violate the law. “Our mobile courts keep an eye on the jalmahals and we cancel the lease if any irregularities is found.”
An estimation by RDS reveals that out of the 156 jalmahals in the district, 35 are in Koyra upazila, 21 in Dacop, 54 in Paikgachha, 12 in Batiaghata, 24 in Dumuria, 7 in Rupsha and two in Terokhada upazila.
Of these jalmahals, the Khulna administration had leased out 64 through auction. 58 of the jalmahal could not be leased due to land filling and other complications.
Mohammad Alimuzzaman, a resident of Dumuria, said sometimes the corrupt officials announce inundated shoals as waterbodies and try to lease them out. “However, this practice had affected the real fisherman and farmers who are the main claimant of the jalmahals,” he added.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner of Khulna Farid Hossain said: “The number of open waterbodies has been declining due to land filling. Also many people sub-lease them violating the law and those who face loss, file cases against us. Moreover, there is always the pressure of politically influential people.”
He however added that his administration had been taking all out measures to save the jalmahals and safeguard the environment.
