More than 500 buyers of animals have had extra money refunded after an army drive at the Jonail cattle market in Baraigram, Natore, over allegations of excess hasil (market fee) collection.

The army team visited the market on the afternoon of Saturday (31 May) and, finding the allegation true, ordered the excess hasil returned immediately. The buyers then got their extra money back. The lessees also gave the army a written undertaking not to collect extra hasil in future.

A large animal market sits at Jonail in the upazila every Saturday and Tuesday. On market day, trade picks up from Saturday noon. The market was collecting Tk 400 from the buyer and Tk 100 from the seller for each goat, whereas under the government list it should have been Tk 110 to 220 from the buyer, according to the goat's price, and Tk 22-55 from the seller.

For cattle, the lessees were collecting Tk 800 from the buyer and Tk 200 from the seller, whereas under the government list it should be Tk 330-600 from the buyer, according to the cow's price, and Tk 60-120 from the seller.

Adam Ali of Adgram, who came to sell a cow, said a cow sold for Tk 3 lakh and one sold for Tk 30,000 were both charged the same toll, meaning the lessees were collecting a total of Tk 1,000 from buyer and seller. Likewise, the same toll was taken for a Tk 40,000 goat and a Tk 10,000 goat, which is not right at all, he said.

College teacher Osman Goni, who came to buy a goat for the sacrifice, said he looked for the toll chart at the market but could not find one anywhere. When he asked the lessees, they said they were not charging extra, so no chart was needed. Meanwhile, the toll receipts give the animal's price but not how much toll was taken, he said.

Asked about it, Jonail UP chairman Abul Kalam Azad said he does not concern himself with the market. Those who got the lease are collecting the toll, and the administration is keeping an eye on extra charges, he said.

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