Salim Moshiur, Comilla (South)

The housing estate area built in the heart of Laksam Municipality, a traditional commercial city in the southern part of Cumilla, has now been transformed into a commercial city due to forced occupation, and more than two hundred plot recipients are living in severe insecurity and health risks.

However, the administration involved in this residential area has increased the misery of the plot recipients by acting as a silent spectator. It seems that the protectors and the eaters are now one. The residents of the currently unprotected housing estate built in the bypass area of Laksam Municipality, the heart of the past, with its heritage, are now in mortal fear due to serious security and health risks.

It is learnt from multiple local sources that in the 1987/88 financial year, the then government acquired 10.20 acres of private land/water reservoir in the heart of the municipal city and filled it with soil at a cost of about 8 lakh taka through successive tenders, but there are various controversies here. The memorandum no. 04/1-(5) dated 02/01/1988. Although the said project finally saw the light of day due to irregularities, irresponsibility and pocket trading of the concerned authorities at various times from the beginning, now various types of misdeeds are going on which there is no evidence.

In 1991, the then Upazila administration resorted to pocket trading to finalize the plot-based professional list.

According to the list of the Upazila administration, there are 70 residential plots in 8 blocks and 13 commercial plots, mosques, Eidgahs, community centers and housing school plots in the said area. Among these, plot recipients have secretly sold 23 residential plots and 6 commercial plots elsewhere without following any government rules and regulations, but the authorities concerned have not yet moved. According to government regulations, transfer fees as the value of the land, certification fees for taking loans from banks and other financial institutions, and clearance fees for the construction of multi-storey buildings, etc., are supposed to be deposited in the government treasury, but for some mysterious reason, it is absent today.

On the other hand, there was a government canal on the side of the road from the bypass intersection of the Daulatganj market entrance, but its heritage is absent today. Various private shops have been built on it. However, the administrative department responsible for the maintenance of housing estates and local administration has been creating various curiosity in the minds of the people of the area as a silent spectator.

Another source from the upazila administration said that after the change of government in 1996, in the face of the demands of the residential plot recipients, the then upazila administration sincerely provided gas and electricity lines and provided immediate connections, but for a long time now it is being used commercially instead of residentially. Which is against the government or the residential law.

However, these two departments of the government are deprived of a lot of revenue income every year. It seems that no one has any headache in this regard. Although the upazila administration has been taking steps to prevent various misdeeds including forced occupation in that residential area at different times, it is largely fruitless, but no one's misdeeds are stopping. However, they are unwilling to obey the existing laws and regulations. They are carrying out illegal activities as they please.

Multiple sources from the aggrieved plot recipients said that they have taken the plots by spending money. The roads are full of potholes, waterlogging, piles of garbage, drains and residential environment are not there. On top of that, the residents of residential areas are currently at risk of insecurity and health due to various criminal activities including the mischief of scoundrels, drug peddling day and night, and the movement of mobile beekeepers. In addition, the Laksham-Noakhali bypass road passes through the middle of the residential area, occupying government land and building many shops on both sides, and the noise pollution of vehicles and traffic congestion have further increased the safety risk in the area. Because many types of misdeeds including drug dealing are going on in many of those residential and commercial establishments.

Although the police and the upazila administration have been informed many times, no satisfactory results have been obtained. Since many plots are vacant in residential areas, they are facing unbearable hardships in a polluted environment with garbage, piles of garbage, and waterlogging in forests and jungles. Various shops and vehicles have been set up in front of various plots and occupying the sidewalks of the roads. Residents of residential plots are at risk of security due to the constant activities of people involved in anti-social activities including theft, robbery, drugs and other activities in the area.

However, with the aim of modernizing the municipality, the municipal council is implementing various infrastructure projects to increase the civic amenities of housing estate residents by allocating several crores of taka. However, the issue of citizens' safety is still behind the scenes.

In this regard, several members of the plot users' organization in the residential area said that there are many long-standing problems in the residential area. Talks are underway with the concerned administration regarding many of the ongoing problems. Hopefully, they will be resolved in the next few days. Although they did not open their mouths about various irregularities and complaints, they did not deny them, but they pointed those complaints at the former administration and the leaders of the plot recipient organizations.

When asked about this, an official of the concerned upazila administration was reluctant to speak out.

However, various initiatives were taken, including issuing official notices to plot recipients in residential areas, focusing on various problems and complaints.