Paranpur market is the largest livestock market in Kashiani upazila of Gopalganj. It has not been leased by the government for the past two years, and khas (direct government) collection is officially under way under the supervision of the land officer. The reality, however, is different.

Although the union land officer is supposed to stand by and oversee the collection, it is being carried out by a syndicate made up of the former leaseholder and his people. Allegedly, the syndicate deposits a token sum in the government treasury and pockets most of the money, depriving the government of crores of taka in revenue every year.

On a visit, Bulbul, Junnu Mina, Md Ali Molla and other people from the leaseholders' syndicate were seen collecting the toll. Neither the union land officer nor his staff were seen doing so, although land officer Nazmul Hasan was seen sitting on a chair at a tea stall inside the market.

The market sits every Wednesday, and at least 500 to 1,000 animals are bought and sold each market day. A toll of Tk 300 is collected per animal (cattle) from both the buyer and the seller, which means revenue of more than Tk 3 lakh on each market day.

It is alleged that in the Bengali years 1430 and 1431, the former leaseholder has been collecting the toll without taking the lease. Instead of taking the lease through the tender process, the syndicate is accused of colluding with the administration to loot government revenue in the name of khas collection. A share of the money collected on each market day also allegedly goes to the local land officer, union parishad chairman and members, and local power brokers. The syndicate members and the land officer give two different accounts of the matter.

Bulbul Mia, the former leaseholder who is collecting the toll, said: "We are doing the khas collection under an agreement. We took the market from the UNO on a contract of Tk 1 lakh 60 thousand per market day. On each market day we deposit this money in the UNO office through the tahsildar."

By his account, he has had 33 market days so far, from which Tk 52 lakh 80 thousand should have been collected. This could not be verified because the UNO office did not provide information, and there are questions about how much has actually been deposited in the government treasury. The market was last leased in 1429 for Tk 2 crore 26 lakh 75 thousand.

Nazmul Hasan, assistant land officer of Tarail union, who is in charge of the collection, said Tk 1 lakh 12 thousand 325 was collected from the market this week, and that after deducting labour costs he had deposited the remaining Tk 1 lakh 7,000 at the UNO office. Asked how many animals were bought and sold, he avoided the question.

Asked for information on the collection, UNO Farzana Jannat, president of the khas collection committee, said: "I have heard that khas collection takes place at one market. But I am new here; let me find out and understand the matter first. Then I will give the information."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.