40-day scheme yet to start for fund crisis

A good number of farm labourers of five upazilas in the district are going through a serious job crisis.

They will face the situation until harvest of aman paddy that will start in the last week of November, said locals.

Most of the labourers, who throng the town to get hired for any menial labour, come back home everyday without getting any job.

The jobless labourers said they get job opportunity under government-run 40-day job scheme every year during the Bengali months Ashwin-Kartik (October- November).

But the project is delayed this time as the government is yet to sanction any fund in this regard, they said.

Farm labourer Azizul Islam, 55, of Saralkhan village in Aditmarti upazila, said every year they face a serious job crisis at this time until the start of aman harvest.

Farmer Zahir Ali, 55, of Chaklarhat village in Kaliganj upazila, said many jobless farm labourers are receiving advance payment against their labour during the aman harvesting period.

Lalmonirhat District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Idris Ali said the farm labourers will get job under the government programme soon after getting fund.