By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
Matia Buruj, South 24-Parganas: The heavily Muslim dominated Matia Buruj, an Assembly constituency in South 24-Parganas district, lacks water supply system and drainage system. Though under Kolkata Municipal Corporation, for drinking water the area depends on the water tankers that come in the morning. People say they are fed up with Left regime and want change.
“The main problem is no proper supply of drinking water. Another major problem is poor and inefficient health facility for the dense population here,” says Sheikh Salahuddin, local resident. As there is no drainage system there is water logging on roads and even in homes in rainy season, he informs.
“There is no drainage system in lanes and bylanes. As for education, there are few schools. At schools, very few teachers for huge number of children. This is a corporation area but we have no water pipeline. Water tankers come in the morning,” says Sheikh Mohd Naushad Hussain, local businessman and social activist.
Residents of Matia Buruj
“People work hard to earn but this is a neglected area. They always neglect Muslim areas and make them reserved for women or SC/ST. in this Garden Reach area there is no development work,” says Moinul Haque Chowdhury, Councillor, Ward No. 141.
Urdu schools
There are about six lakh people in the constituency. A good number of them are Urdu speaking, but there are not much Urdu schools.
“There is high number of Urdu speaking people, but schools are not many and the quality of Urdu education is very poor,” says Rizwana Rafat, a local graduate who teaches Urdu at a private school in the same locality. She says she is working to set up an Urdu school in her area and get aid from Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
Cry for change
“People want change. Change should come. After all what have we got from the government? They are just increasing excise duty. You can hardly find a government job holder in the entire area,” says Mufeesul Islam.
A mosque in Matia Buruj
“People want change. If people want change, then they will have to elect Mumtaz Begum of Trinamool Congress, says Sheikh Salahuddin.
“Change will come. We have got fed up with the Left. They did nothing for us,” says Sheikh Shahjahan, another resident.