UDAIPUR , May 6 (TIWN) : Defying the rules of Diversion Act (Paddy Land and Water Bodies) a section of CPI(M) party leaders in Udaipur Divisional Committee headed by a heavy weight MLA (known as Millionaire Communist among his party workers) are alleged to be putting tremendous pressure on SDM Udaipur and DM Gomati for issuing orders of diversion orders. And it is learnt from TIWN source in SDM Office that a Surveyor namely Alam Ahmed and A Clerk in Radhakishorepur Tehsil namely Biswajit Dey are playing the role of negotiators in such cases.

 An employee in the SDM Office (unwilling to disclose his name) made a serious allegation that in the SDM Office Surveyer Alam Ahmed often likes to call himself a close aid of the Millionaire Communist and therefore, none dares to raise any voice against him. The employee said that Alam is the mediator between the land mafias of Udaipur and thea section of CPI(M) Divisional Committee leaders.

   As per the new rules there are two committees dealing with Land Diversion -one is District Level Committee for water bodies with DM Gomati as its Chairman and the other is for paddy land with SDM Udaipur as its Chairman. In both the cases final approval is given in consultaion with Chairman and Ececutive Officer of Udaipur Municipal Council, Drinking Water & Sanitation Department, Fire Service Department, PWD, SDPO and other members' consent. But in recent years no such permission is given to the owners of the lakes and paddy land which are being filled up in Udaipur. Vice-Chairman of Udaipur Municipal Council(UMC) Ranjan Krishna Das told to TIWN no such application for diversion came for UMC's consent. But how the permissions are issued in such cases remains a mystery, adds Ranjan Krishna Das. Indeed, in Udaipur political influences are creating a major problem for the administration in protecting these water bodies.

   In this connection a group of journalists met SDM Udaipur and DCM Sabyasachi Sinha in the chamber of SDM on Monday. During the meeting the SDM Udaipur Ajit Debnath and DCM Sabyasachi Sinha too accepted the ' involvement of influentials' in various cases. Both the officials accepted that in recent years many water bodies have vanished. But after getting specific complaints administration has taken some concrete steps. However, they said that people are afraid to complain against most of these illegal filling because the owners are either financially or politically influentials. Coping with this trend two more water bodies are now facing their extinction - one is located in Kailarmath area known as Aslamer Dighi( popularly termed as Phooltungi by the local people) and the other is located in Shanti Pally area under Ward no-12 of Udaipur Municipal Council. The joint- owners of Aslamer Dighi namely Ity Rani Saha, Jiban Krishna Saha and Dilip Saha have already been warned twice by the administration. SDM said that only fifteen days before administration has removed mud from this lake as the owners illegally filled a large portion without valid permission. Now once again the owners are filling up the lake in the darkness of night. But inspite of several complaints made by the common people no step is taken so far to protect the lake. It is learnt that theowners are patronised by a heavy weight CPI(M) Woman leader cum Councilor of UMC Basana Das and the an MLA(known as Millionaire Communist).

Pumps are used to dry up lake owned by CPIM leader Amulya Das of Kakraban Panchayat Samity

    SDM said that he knew nothing of this illegal filling but he will send officials to make an inquiry and to submit its report by Thursday afternoon. SDM Udaipur and DCM Sabyasachi Sinha were shocked to know how the people living in municipal area are filling up lakes without permission. Same holds true in case of the lake in Shantipally. Here the owner Amulya Das himself being a CPI(M) Party's elected member in Kakraban Panchayat Samity,  none even dares to raise question. As such denying the law making body water has been removed from this lake using pump machines and that too in broad day light. And now it is learnt from TIWN SDM Office sources that Amulya Das too is assured by Surveyer Alam Ahmed for sanctioning the Diversion order at any time before the official announcement of three-tier Panchayat poll date. A CPI(M) Party's Udaipur Divisional Committee member told to TIWN over phone ( on condition that we won't reveal his identity) that Amulay Das is all set to fill up the lake once the Model Code of Conduct for Panchayat poll is imposed because during that time administration will remain busy with poll procedure. Hearing this from media DCM Sabyasachi Sinha too lodged a complaint to the SDM pointing out thatmore than six hundred people regularly use the water of this lake.

   Sabyasachi Sinha informed TIWN correspondent over phone that notice will be issued against Amulya Das for not doing anything without permission. However, it is doubtful whether administration will come up strongly especially when a ruling party MLA is running a syndicate of land mafias (an open secret in Udaipur). At the same time the a section of employees in SDM office Udaipur and R.K.Pur Tehsil are under constant pressure from a section of ruling party leaders led by an MLA. Environmentalists opine that with the present trend, Udaipur still regarded as Lake City will lose its crown. And the ill effects will be dangerous. Unfortunately, even after taking the oath in the name of protecting the laws set by the Constitution of India, some elected MLAs are behaving in a way that can only be familiar in the world of Land Mafias.