A section of government officials, who have resided in the district for loan, however, confirm that veracity of media reports that tossed up the issue recently and say:” It is common practice in the district”.
According to the Malda DM, Mr. C R Das’s report submitted to the panchayat department on 21 February on the subject: “… the story published and carried by a section of the press does not reflect the truth and characters mentioned were actually paid to enact the story”.
“The story was cooked up for cheap publicity”, the DM wrote and added, “… there was no evidence of bonded labour in this case”.
Denying the media report on the issue as well, the assistant labour commissioner, Malda, Mr. PP Das said: “Sometimes people pull the plough to till a small plot of land as seed beds. If a man pulls the plough in exchange of money as labour, it is offence. We can take action against the employer based on labour laws”. #
Statesman News Service
MALDA, Feb 24:- While the district magistrate Mr. C R Das claimed that media reports were baseless and it has tarnished the image of the state as a whole ignoring strict ehicks to publish genuine facts on the controversial issue of the ‘people working as bullocks to repay loans’ the local CPIM MLA Mr. Subhendu Choudhuryclaimend that the specific report may be wrong but there are so many ‘Netai’ (name of a labour who pull to earn money.
According to the inquiry report submitted to the SDO from the BDO of Old Malda block Mr. Suman Pal, it was pointed out “Netai Mandal categorically denied taking loan from any Mahajan Netai Sarkar”.
At least 25 people failed to recognize any Mahajan with such name “, the BDO added.
Based on this report, the district magistrate informed the government: “The story was cooked up for cheap publicity”. #
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