Tajpur/Samastipur, 12th January 2025, Rajeev Sinha : Farmers have announced a protest on January 17 in front of the District Magistrate, demanding the construction of a culvert on the under-construction Tajpur-Bakhtiyarpur four-lane road to ensure proper water drainage. The absence of a culvert could lead to waterlogging over a 7-kilometer area, submerging farmland, the block headquarters, and nearby markets.
Under the banner of Kisan Mahasabha, farmers organized a meeting on Sunday at the construction site of the road. The meeting, chaired by Brahmdev Prasad Singh, president of the block unit of Kisan Mahasabha, was also attended by district secretary Lalan Kumar as an observer. Addressing the gathering, Lalan Kumar stated that the lack of a culvert on the road would inundate hundreds of acres of crops and Tajpur market, as this area serves as the natural drainage route during the rainy season for the block and market areas.
CPI-ML Block Secretary Surendra Prasad Singh, who was a guest speaker, highlighted the injustice faced by the farmers. “While culverts exist on the adjacent Tajpur-Morba and Tajpur-Bhindi roads for water drainage, the absence of such a provision on this road is a clear oversight and a violation of farmers’ rights,” he said. He assured the farmers that the CPI-ML would support their struggle and take this issue from the streets to the legislative assembly.
To intensify the movement, a 13-member Culvert Construction Struggle Committee was formed, with Sitaram Rai as the convener and Ravindra Rai as the co-convener. It was decided to mobilize large participation for the January 17 protest in front of the District Magistrate’s office to ensure the success of the agitation.
At the end of the meeting, farmers expressed their anger through a protest against the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Participants included Sanjeev Rai, Lalan Kumar Das, Ramsakal Rai, Suresh Rai, Jagannath Rai, Shambhu Rai, Ramanandan Bhagat, Shivchand Rai, Rambrix Rai, and Bechan Prasad Rai, among many others.
