“I have been delivering sugarcanes habitually in the Faridpur sugar mill since 1976. Like the other 10 farmers around, I also have got the opportunity of getting loan without interest, fertilizers, pesticides and elements for irrigation. When the sugarcanes are grown enough to be crushed, we deliver them in the sugarcanes after receiving the purjee and when the crushing season is over we get our money. Though we faced a lot of troubles, we were used to the purjee system. But getting purjee through SMS service has created a revolutionary effect among the sugarcane growers. Half of our sufferings have been reduced. We no more have to wait for the purjee or to plead with other people. One single SMS has changed our way of life.” –this is how Mohd. Shahidul Islam (53), a sugarcane grower of the Magura district was describing the beneficial effects of the e-purjee service.
Last year, Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) started the pilot project of the e-purjee service in two sugar mills of the country. Financed by UNDP Access to Information (A2I) Programme at the Prime Minister’s Office technically and financially assisted the project. In the traditional purjee system, the sugarcane growers were given a paper containing the purjee during the crushing season of the year. In this paper, the sugarcanes are asked to deliver within the three days validity. Because of the less manpower, the sugar mill authority used to give the purjee through the various centre’s of the sugar mill, neighbours of the farmers or through another farmer. In most of the cases the purjee did not reach in the hands of the farmers. Shahidul Islam said, “Suppose a sugarcane grower has gone to the centre and the Centre in Charge (CIS) has requested him to deliver my purjee to me. The farmer he asked to do this might have lost the purjee, or forgotten to give it, or it might reach in my hands on the last day of its validity. It would be like a no-way-out situation for me. Furthermore, after the validity the centre do not want to buy the sugarcanes depriving others who’s purjee is still valid. Even if they buy our sugarcanes it would be left over and thus the sugarcanes become dry in regard to which the production of the sugar also lessens. So it is a loss on both the ends- theirs and ours as well. ”
Not only Shahidul Islam but all the farmers’ faces are now blooming with happiness. Only a SMS has changed their lives. This SMS based e-puree service not only informs them about the purjee, rather it informs about other things as well. About this Shahidul Islam says, “We were called to the sugar mills to be given our money, but all the farmers could not be informed because of the communication gap. Often we found that the money was not ready yet. Many unwanted situations have occurred in this manner. Nonetheless, now we are notified the date and time of the payment via SMS. Even in case of inconvenience the authority informs us in time through SMS. Thus being informed in time, we do not have to wait in vain”. This year, the e-purjee service has been started in all the sugar mills of the country through which around 1.5 lac people are directly benefitted. When Shahidul Islam was asked whether they are facing any troubles with the e-purjee service or not, he answered, “Digital purjee is our digital Bangladesh. If the purjee SMS was in bangle, it would be more helpful to us. “
By: Access To Information Team
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