South Dinajpur landowners partially open silo godown

BALURGHAT: In a temporary relief to the district administration, agitating landowners agreed to partially open the doors of a silo godown in South Dinajpur following mediation by the district administration and the police. However, the concession has been made only for two days, with the protesters making it clear that the godown will be locked again if their demands are not met.

A silo godown is a tall, cylindrical structure designed to store bulk grains like wheat, rice and other food grains. It functions as a large-scale warehouse, protecting grains from pests, moisture and spoilage via airtight seals and aeration systems.

The decision came after two rounds of meetings held from Tuesday afternoon till late at night in the presence of senior administrative officials. The administration reportedly warned that continued closure of the godown could severely disrupt the public distribution system, prompting the landowners to allow the release of government foodgrains on a temporary basis.

Due to the ongoing agitation, around 1,300 metric tonnes of foodgrains have remained stocked inside the silo godown. The stock is primarily meant for the PM Poshan mid-day meal scheme and the ration distribution system. In addition, a goods train rake loaded with foodgrains had also been stranded. On Wednesday, the agitators permitted only the unloading of the goods train. As many as 40 trucks were engaged to clear the rake. However, no foodgrains were unloaded from the godown itself, making it evident that the larger impasse remains unresolved.

One of the protesting landowners, Madan Ekka, said: “The district administration has requested that government foodgrains should not be held up. Respecting that, we are allowing the train and rake to be cleared. But after two days, we will lock the godown again. Another meeting will be held to resolve the issue. Initially, we were promised jobs. Now the company is offering to buy Toto vehicles instead of providing employment. We do not agree to that. If jobs are not given, our land should be returned.”

Landowners seek re-evaluation at market rates and Rs 50 lakh compensation each instead of jobs, silo godown manager Biswajit Sutradhar said, adding the demand exceeds project cost. SP Chinmay Mittal said talks are ongoing and all issues remain under process.