The government has decided to lease 25 state-owned jalmahals (public water bodies) for six years under a development project. The leases will be awarded through an open, online process to protect the rights of genuine fishers, increase fish production and ensure transparency and accountability in revenue collection.
The decision was taken on Monday (19 October) at the 92nd meeting of the committee on leasing state water bodies under development projects, held at the Ministry of Land and chaired by Land Minister Mizanur Rahman Minu.
The meeting discussed six-year leases for state water bodies larger than 20 acres. Proposals covered 34 water bodies in four districts: 11 in Moulvibazar, one in Rangpur, 19 in Sylhet and three in Kushtia. After scrutiny, 25 were approved for lease.
The meeting also discussed Durgasagar Dighi in Barishal, the Bil Churail jalmahal in Chapainawabganj, the Bil Suti river (closed) jalmahal in Habiganj, and extending the term of 779 ponds under the Department of Fisheries' Nimgachhi project.
The land minister said no irregularity in the leasing process would be tolerated, and that the open, online system gives genuine fishers' cooperative societies a chance, which will help raise the country's fish production. State Minister for Land Barrister Mir Mohammad Helal Uddin said the priority is to make sure marginal and genuine fishers benefit without obstruction, and he told deputy commissioners to recommend leases transparently and accountably, without accepting improper lobbying.
Acting land secretary Md Emdadul Haque Chowdhury, joint secretary Mohammad Mofizul Islam of the ministry's Sairat wing and other committee officials attended, while the deputy commissioners of Moulvibazar, Sylhet, Rangpur, Barishal, Chapainawabganj, Pabna, Sirajganj and Habiganj joined online.
Based on a report by Barta24's staff correspondent.
Photo: Shariful iea / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0); a wetland in Naogaon, representative picture
Source: Barta24
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