DHAKA, March 30, 2022 (BSS) - Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury today asked the officials concerned to take necessary steps to cancel the lease of his Chingri Mahal (shrimp pond zone), which he got as inheritance property, considering the ethical ground.
 
The land minister gave the direction at a meeting of the National Shrimp Management Committee held in the ministry's conference room, said a press release.

"As the matter of leasing Chingri Mahal falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Land, the Land Minister, on ethical principles, directed the concerned officials to take necessary steps to cancel the lease of his Chingri Mahal," said the release. 

Lawmakers Shaimum Sarwar Kamal and Jafar Alam, and Land Secretary Md. Mustafizur Rahman were also present. 

The land minister also directed the officials concerned to introduce online management to prevent public harassment in the payment of revenue of the Chingri Mahal. 

He also asked to set up an automated verification system so that more than one member of a family cannot get the lease of a Chingri Mahal at a time. 

Besides, the meeting decided to modernize the Chingri Mahal policy and not to lease out Chingri Mahal without National Identity Card (NID).

In the meeting, the lease proposal of 44 Chingri Mahals were discussed for approval based on the reports of different districts of the country.
 
The officials concerned were also instructed to take steps to start the process of converting a 135-acre Chingri Mahal of Satkhira into a Jalmahal (Water bodies) for being unsuitable for shrimp farming.

There are about 1,596 Chingri Mahals all over the country which are a source of revenue. 

Various stakeholders including the Ministry of Land, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change officials, field administration officials of Cox's Bazar and Satkhira districts, and individuals involved in shrimp farming and trade attended the meeting, among others.