Dr. Mohinder Kumar
Behra is situated in Poonch district, 2 km from Mendhar town (adjoining). The village is in proximity of Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan within range of firing and mortar-shelling from across the LoC. It is a hilly and plain village facing hills of Pakistan located at distance of two km. Total area of village is 1875 acres, of which common land is 625 acres (33%), agricultural land 625 acres (33%), and remaining area is residential.
Common land near infringement of Mendhar town is subject to private encroachments. It is not customarily allotted to villagers due to unique reason of being a cause of incidents of disputes, grabbing, clashes and violence. Common land is used as open pasture for grazing cattle. Market price of this land is lucrative: Rs.20 lakh per ‘kanal’ / Rs.1.60 crore per acre. Total value of 625 acre common land is Rs.1000 crore. There are cases of encroachment in adjoining areas of Kund, Behra Dhakki and ‘firing-point’. Everywhere land is under threat of encroachment. It was reported that there are large number of FIRs in the area and most of these pertain to disputes over land grabbing. All villages surrounding Mendhar town are afflicted with land encroachment problem. Forest land is 400 acres with no fencing. Forest is open to everyone –for small wood, grazing, cutting grass, etc. Village has 250 acres of “wasteland” though villagers use this land too for cattle-grazing. Area of 13 acres is carved out from forest land for a social forestry project. Villagers make intensive use of common property resources free of cost or in whatever way.
VILLAGE WEEKLY
Average size of owned holding is 0.69 acre. Only 5% land is irrigated and 95% is rain-fed dry land. Mendhari nallah is the only source of irrigation, which is rainy and seasonal –causing gushing floods rather than meeting irrigation requirement. There are other smaller nallahs, drains and “kassian” (small drains) from which 4-5 ponds were constructed by Rural Development Department. Farmers cultivate maize and wheat, and rear milk animals for family subsistence. Village survives on home produced milk, dahi, lassi, butter and ghee. Production of maize and wheat is sufficient for 4-6 months. For remaining months they depend on market and ration shop. Since land is dry, stony and arid, they do not use fertilizers. Yield of maize and wheat is very low. Goats are reared by 40% households; cows and buffaloes are maintained by all households; very few (5%) sell milk to earn cash money; and poultry birds are reared by all households.
Behra has population of 5000 persons in 1000 households. All households are Muslim religious households. Their social caste composition is mixed: 50% Pahari and 50% Gurjar. Gurjar households are notified as Scheduled Tribe (ST). A majority of households (80%) have kutcha house; trend in constructing pucca house with remittances is picking up for the past 2-3 years. Literacy rate is 35%; however in new generation literacy is 80%. Mutual relations in new generation are good as they do not get engage in the issue of ST versus non-ST. Women work on farm and are employed in service. Only 60% farmers are interested in submitting KCC forms. Sarpanch has created awareness among villagers. However, three wards did not respond to the call for KCC. Panchayat called each farmer and got the forms filled. Out of 600 KCC forms submitted, only 100 KCCs are issued by banks, of which 50 farmers are taking loan. If banks expedite process, interested farmers would be happy.
Behra village has 2000 youths. More than 100 youths are Post-graduates; more than 200 youths are Graduates; 12-13 youths are Engineers and Diploma holders. Many of them are unemployed. Even educated youths do wage labor, but they are reluctant and disinterested laborers. Even 70 plus aged men are doing wage-labor as youths are disinterested. Wage-labor provides subsistence for six months. Around 80 youths from Behra have migrated to Middle East (UAE, Saudi Arabia). They earn between Rs.30000 and 50000 per month. Trend in foreign migration has picked up during past 25 years that started 35 years ago. Total 4000 youth migrated from Mendhar block (49 GPs) to the Middle East. Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Mendhar caters to the requirement of technical skills of youth; diploma courses in plumbing, electrician, carpentry, etc. benefited them in finding jobs in foreign countries.
Street lanes are kutcha; sanitation is poor; there are no streetlights. All houses are connected with electric supply though proper poles are not installed –electric wires are fixed with trees. Drinking water is supplied from barsati Mendhari nallah although villagers depend on chashmas. Village does not have dispensary; people demanded in their proposals but it is yet to be granted. There is no private clinic or medical shop. Ration shop under PDS is not yet set up. Villagers walk up to 10 km to get subsidized ration from Mendhar. Means of transport are not available even as each household has to arrange its own vehicle. Many youths are using owned private Tata Sumo to set up public transport operator business in unauthorized way. Village has five primary schools, one middle school (1960), and two more middle schools were opened recently. There is no high school. There is no post-office also. For these basic amenities, villagers depend on adjoining Mendhar town. The main problem in Behra is access to financing; 60% (600) of them want finance for economic activities but have no access; 20% (200) households are disinterested and reluctant to borrow and 20% (200 households) depend on remittances from abroad.
Major problems faced by village are related to basic facilities of (i) link road; (ii) flood; (iii) water supply scheme; (iv) electricity supply; (v) school; (vi) dispensary; (vii) panchayat problems; (viii) materials for project implementation; (ix) veterinary center; (x) forest animal (leopard); and (xi) shelling on LoC. Sarpanch demanded adequate fund allocation for construction and repair of link roads as people faced hardships –being close to LoC. Gram Panchayat submitted a proposal of five link roads to the District Development Board (DDB) Poonch for approval but only one road project was sanctioned. Non-completion of road projects by contractors is a major issue. Villagers demanded urgent action because: (i) 40% of farmers’ agricultural land is wasteland because tractor could not reach from outside for ploughing; (ii) transporting building materials is difficult; (iii) villagers face difficulty in going to Mendhar town; and (iv) children face difficulty in going to school. Link road is under construction under PMGSY since 2003.
Villagers expressed urgency to address problems of soil erosion and traffic disruption due to gushing flow of several nallahs. Nallahs affect not only Behra village but also surrounding areas including Mendhar town. Many of these problems are outcomes of encroachments near vacant land on nallahs due to which course of flow of streams has become narrow, which causes problem of flood-like situation each year, Population, colonies and land encroachments are also responsible for damages caused by interruption in water flow. Various “bastis” of Behra on top of hill and Mendhar town situated below in plains are affected by these nallahs: (i) Dhakki nallah; (ii) Ullhar nallah; (iii) Kund nallah; (iv) Dheri nallah; (v) Mohalla Numberdaran nallah; (vi) Nadala nallah; and (vii) Mendhari nallah. Mendhari nallah and hilly nallahs caused the maximum damage. There are more than 10 rainy nallahs causing damages. Gushing flow of nallahs hits houses, causes soil erosion and washing away of crops. Patwari later visits village for girdawari to report crop-losses. Farmers are paid Rs.200 to 400/-. Several surveys are conducted by tehsildar and patwari though compensation to farmers is petty amount even for huge crop losses. Farmers demand higher compensation. Rural Development Department has constructed bunds, which are not very effective. Mendhari nallah and Salgeri Army Camp nallah cause traffic disruption for hours on Mendhar-Poonch Main Road, 2 km from Behra.
Villagers demanded various problems of pipeline drinking water supply scheme (WSS) to be addressed urgently: (i) quality of water; (ii) adequacy and coverage of all households; and (iii) streamlining operational and technical aspects. The WSS has three storage reservoirs of 20000 gallons each. It has two sources of water, viz., Mendhari nallah and Salgeri nallah. Pipelines are having breakages even as pipes are not connected well at some points which cause leakages and reduced flow of water. Though majority (70%) of the households is given pipe connection, 30% households are deprived of this facility. Supply is maintained by pump set only for 30 minutes per day, of which 15 minutes are consumed in starting and making it functional; thus only 15 minutes time is devoted to water supply. All three water tanks are lying empty as there is shortage of supply. Electric motor is defective and dysfunctional; it runs for 10 minutes but soon becomes “free” (defective). Villagers informed PHE Department about technical problem and submitted applications but to no avail. For 12 months electric motor is semi-dysfunctional.
Villagers have serious issues with regard to power supply which needs urgent action: Though daily supply is 15 hours this state remains only for a month since transformer would catch fire. It takes two months to repair as repairing is done at Surankot (100 km). Regular power supply is not maintained. There are five transformers but one or the other always remains defective. Even wind or rain causes short-circuit or other fault. Transformers of small capacity (25 KVA) are installed as compared to requirement of 63 KVA load. Gram Panchayat has submitted complaints to PDD since 2011 and it promised new transformers of higher capacity under BRGF, but they were told that allocation of money is not approved. There are three linemen posted for five transformers even as lines remain afflicted with faults. Linemen could not rectify faults properly due to high work pressure. Transformer for Kund “basti” got defective by fire; people protested for repair for two months; this “basti” required transformer of 100 KVA capacity. Voltage is low because each “basti” requires separate transformer.
New Middle School in village has three vacant posts of teachers. Villagers demanded local teachers (from village) to be posted because outside teachers face problems of accessibility due to hilly terrain, bad condition of link roads (particularly during rainy season) and winter. Village-based teachers from Behra are expected to focus better on classroom teaching. Building of old Middle School was constructed in 1960; buildings of two other schools were constructed 20-30 years ago; there is no repair and maintenance. Roofs without cement plastering have leakage problem, which poses risky and dangerous situation. Another Middle School does not have roof but only four walls of classrooms. Number of classrooms is less than number of classes. Dheri Bera “basti” Middle School is in worst condition for the past five years, without roof. Villagers protested to DEO Poonch and Deputy CEO but to no avail. Action on their complaints is yet to be taken. Villagers demand new building/ classrooms. Their demands are yet to be addressed.
The village does not have dispensary for medical and health care. Patients are forced to visit Mendhar town even as farthest “basti” is located 10-12 km from town. Sometimes during night pregnant woman have delivery on the way; patient dies on the way even as damaged and kutcha link-road is useless. Villagers face most difficult situation without dispensary during emergency in night. Villagers approached minister and were advised to send recommendation for dispensary. Sarpanch forwarded three recommendations for a Primary Health Center. However, since 2010 their demands are not accorded due attention.
Under MNREGA, Panchayat submitted annual plan of Rs.70 lakh for Behra village. However, actual allocation was for Rs.30 lakh. For 2013-14, panchayat had submitted plan in June-July 2013. However, as on date (7 September 2013) panchayat was yet to receive order for execution of works. Mendhar block and Behra Gram Panchayat (GP) in particular face heavy work pressure of billing and processing mainly under MNREGA. Payment of bills for Job Card holders and materials gets delayed for up to six months. Vetting of completed works is a problem that needs to be solved by posting more JEs so that bills could be processed. Sarpanch demanded posting more JEs in each GP for 100% vetting of completed works.
Guidelines for implementation of projects (MNREGA and other schemes) envisaged that cement shall be supplied by the Department concerned. As per norm, immediately after vetting of Village Plan, cement should be supplied to GP. However, this does not happen. Actually cement supply was received by Behra GP from RDD six months after vetting of Village Plan. Cement allotment for old projects of 2011-12 was yet to be released in 2013-14 (as on 07.09.2013). Sarpanch demanded that GP should be permitted to purchase cement from open market so that projects could be implemented within timeframe. GPs should be allowed to issue voucher passed by RDD; but this demand was not conceded. GPs demanded early release of cement for projects.
Behra village and GP does not have veterinary facility. Sarpanch demanded that at least each GP should have one veterinary center for livestock health problems. Villagers led by Sarpanch made representation to the MLA and MP and got promises. Action was yet to be taken.
There are two leopards, which come face to face with villagers in their surrounding area as these predators descend from forests beyond top of village hills. So far fortunately there is no harm or injury to humans but villagers did expect that it appeared “likely to happen in near future” as frequency of movements of leopards in/ around village has increased. Villagers demanded safety and security from predators. Predators toe away sheep or goat from houses. During night or in dark it is impossible to pass by two-wheeler as likelihood of predator’s attack is more. Even during day time, leopards could be located sitting in the middle of link-road. Villagers informed police station though they want that wildlife conservators should capture these predators.
Villagers are demanding for quite some time that two Army-pickets (strike-posts) on hill situated in front of Ward No.2 and 6 should be maintained, not removed. They feared that if pickets were removed, militants from across the LoC, would enter the area by infiltration. It would create further difficulties and hassles of normal life for villagers even as search operations by security forces would come into being. Simultaneously they fear that army-pickets in front of Ward 2 and Ward 6 implies threat of being directly coming into line of fire from across LoC. Nonetheless villagers weighed their options and desired in favor of maintaining army-pickets.
Village Behra faces acute problem of water for irrigation even as 5% of agricultural land is irrigated; the remaining 95% land is rain-fed. Ponds constructed get dried in summer. Villagers tend to look at “Parnai Water Project” (Buffliaz) with great expectations. This irrigation project was operational since 1993. The main demand of farmers in Behra relates to direct pipeline by transferring 50% water to this village. In 1990, villagers of Behra had submitted a memorandum to a Minister. They were told that funds were not yet available to connect Behra with Buffliaz through pipeline (100 km). Nevertheless farmers of Behra expect that if 50% water from this project is made available by way of pipeline or tunnel, it would benefit 95% of agricultural land. Behra farmers desire to promote vegetable cultivation since land is very fertile. Their aim is to promote vegetable farming in Behra similar to vegetable hubs of Assar village (Doda district) and Chennani village (Udhampur district).
House building construction is the only destination of money received from foreign remittance or salary or retirement benefit. Sarpanch desired to have entrepreneurship development programmes even as they needed orientation about importance of investment in agriculture. Sarpanch conceived the idea that 50-70 persons from outside (migrants of Middle East) could form Producers’ Company or Cooperative Society by pooling money and starting agri-based activity in Behra; this initiative would also help in creating employment for hundreds of youth within the village. They proposed to set up a cold store even with imported vegetables.
Villagers desired that emerging trend of seeking permanent government service needed to be checked by orientation, social sensitization and education. Youth in Behra desired money from parents or bank loan with subsidy or subsidized interest. After failing to get funds from these sources they seek permanent government job. To curtail this emerging pattern, Sarpanch demanded that youth should be given exposure to ITIs and Polytechnics. Youth in Behra desired training in Fitter, Plumber, Welder, Carpenter, etc. These trades have huge potential in village. Large number of pucca houses is being constructed in Mendhar block by remittances from Middle East.
Villagers demanded ATM in Behra to avoid going to Mendhar town. Since many households receive remittances and deposit money in bank, they require ATM facility in village. Demand for ATM implies village is prosperous and households have money to withdraw and are creditworthy. Villagers demand access to bank loans. Low coverage under KCC could be because agriculture is rain-fed and subsistence-based, with 5% land irrigated. However, non-farm sector activities could be promoted with bank loan. Sarpanch reported that banks’ attitude is apathetic. In some cases, prospective borrowers are made to stay in queue daily for 3-4 days with loan application in hand. Some KCC holders were not sanctioned loan. Instances of throwing away passbooks by bank (Mendhar) were reported by Sarpanch that was followed by disputes even leading to filing of FIR. Behra village on LoC is afflicted more by internal difficulties and absence of access to basic amenities.
(Author works for NABARD; views expressed are personal)
Feedback:mohinder1966@gmail.com
Follow our WhatsApp channel
