The villagers of Bihar are caught in a weird dilemma this year. As it always happens, the monsoon caused floods again in Bihar this year, and my parents' native district of Bihar also got affected, though after a gap of about 13 years. The major damage was to the agricultural produce which completely drowned in the floodwaters.
To compensate for the loss of the farmers, the state government announced compensation to be given to the affected farmers basis the size of the land that got affected in the floods. Surprisingly, the government put a simple condition that has become that albatross around the neck of the villagers. In order to ascertain the size of the land that needs to be compensated, the villagers need to produce the receipts of the fees they would have paid when getting the land registration renewed in their names. This makes logical sense.
But the irony is that, honest that people of my district are, have never bothered to pay that fees and hence do not have any receipts. In fact, most of them also didn't know when is such a fees due. They have managed to claim their lands by bribing the local amil whenever he used to come for a land measurement. Now that the government has announced compensation in lieu of the production of the receipts, the 'honest' villagers tried finding out about the payment of the fees. They surprised themselves when they found out that they owe the government at least ten times the amount that they are about to get in compensation. For example, one of my uncles (Mamaji) shall get a compensation of around Rs.15,000 for his land that was drowned. To show the receipts, however, he needs to pay fees of about Rs.1 lakh as the fees have never been paid in probably the last 50-60 years, or probably even before that.
The villagers are in a real dilemma. If they want the compensation, they will have to rather pay a heavy amount from their pocket. If they don't, they are not eligible for a compensation. The bigger fear is that the 'anti-corruption' Nitish Kumar government might actually use this situation to gauge legitimate rights over land and many people might be trapped in this. They won't be able to claim those lands as their leases would have expired ages ago because of not being renewed.
Was the fees really high that the villagers never paid them. My mother tells me that it used to be Rs.1 per year in 1970s. I guess it must be around Rs.1000 or so nowadays. I am not sure, but I can't see the value of the fees as being the reason for not paying them. Why did no one pay the fees, I ask my mother.
She very convincingly tells me, "Because no one pays. It is not one or two people. It is the entire village."
In the village, no one even pays for the electricity that is supplied there. There are absolutely no electric meters in the entire village. The villagers have managed to have all the electricity for free and also legitimately complain for power cuts which occur for about 12 hours or more everyday. My uncle says, "Not everything that is there in law can be implemented. You can't put the entire village in jail!!. After all there are laws against dowry also. Does that mean we don't take dowry?"
I see. So it is the government who must be blamed every time a Kalmadi or a Raja is caught. But when we are small Kalmadis and Rajas in our own right, it is justified. Because that's the way it has always been.
However, what is interesting is that the Bihar government, if it goes ahead with the payment of this compensation, might actually fund the entire compensation from the fees that people shall pay to show their receipts, to claim the compensation and in fact also have a surplus at the end.
If it is an irony of fate, I am amused. If it is a deliberate attempt by Nitish Kumar to let everyone comply to law, I salute him for his wisdom.
My suggestion is, "Mamaji, forget the compensation or else you'll lose more money than you'll make"
