Shri Shri Gouri Shankar Goshala Society, an integral part of the heritage of Lalmonirhat town, is shambling with the financial crisis as a portion of its properties has been illegally occupied by a local influential, while some other portion was acquired by the government around 50 years ago.
This institution gave its name to the Goshala Bazar and Goshala Road in the town. Established to fund Hindu ritual activities in the locality, with the course of time, it became the epicentre for the Hindu community in the district. But now, despite owning 14 acres of property, the institution is struggling to fund regular activities.
The organisation was established in 1918 in the town on an area of 14 acres of land.
Since then, it has been running different types of charities including providing educational stipends, financial assistance to the poor, and arranging marriage ceremonies of girls of marginalised communities.
Besides, the society also houses a number of temples of Hindu gods and goddesses to follow the religious programmes of the Hindu community people. In addition to this, schools and cattle shed were also set up there.
Of its properties, five acres are farmlands. Temples, schools and cattle shed are on four acres of land, said the Society authorities.
Of the rest, three acres were acquired by the erstwhile government around fifty years ago. There lies a market on the three acres of land hosting around 250 commercial shops. But all the rents of the shops go to the national exchequer.
Another one acre of land, having at least 30 shops and five residential establishments on it, has been illegally occupied by local influential, said the Society insiders.
Only the rest of one acre of commercial land is now under the control of the Goshala. There are around 90 shops on it.
“But, we get only around Tk 15,000 of rent from the 90 shops because the rental is very poor. Each renter pays around Tk 40 to Tk 300 monthly,” said Hiralal Roy, president of the Goshala Society.
“We cannot increase the rent because we have to follow the fifty-year-old agreements,” he added.
“We have been continuing legal battle with the government for around 50 years to get back the three acres of commercial land,” he further said.
About the illegal land grabbers, the Society’s General Secretary Subal Chandra Barman said, “We are trying to evict them but we are failing. We demand government’s intervention to evict the illegal land grabbers.”
“There were over 50 cows around one decade ago. But now we have only 10. We were forced to sell our cows due to financial crisis,” said Sushil Chandra Roy, an employee of the Society.
Contacted, a shop renter Mandol Miah said, “My father rented the shop around 45 years ago. As per the then agreement, the rental is Tk 40. My father paid this and now I am paying the same now.”
Talking to this correspondent, one of the alleged land grabbers Kayum Miah claimed that he did not grab the Society’s land. Rather, he took the lease of the land from the administration as Khas land (government-owned land).
Contacted, Lalmonirhat’s Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md Abu Jafor said the case over a land-related dispute with the Society remains under trial with the court.
“We will act as per the court directives,” he said.
About the illegal grabbers, the DC said the district administration will provide all types of assistance to the Society authorities for evicting the illegal land grabbers.
