E-Purjee

Since the pre liberation war the sugar mills authority are used to buy sugarcane from the
farmers by issuing purjee which a written document. In the purjee it contains the name of
the farmer address, passbook number, center and unit name, the supplying date etc.
Purjee means a written agreement or a deed by which mill authority confirms the farmers
that they will purchase their sugarcane. This old method causes many difficulties for both
the parties. The major problem of the purjee was not reached to the farmer at a time and
lack of information. For this reason both the parties face loss. To reduce this problem
purjee has been digitalized. Last year at December every sugar mill started this new
purjee method. Before that in 2009-2010 it has been practiced in only Faridpur and
Mobarakgonj. After a successful pilot project there it started all over the country.

Purjee and E-Purjee :

When it is time to cut the sugarcane from the field the mill authority sends purjee to the
farmers. After three days of issuing purjee the firmers must supply the sugarcane at the
right place as said at the purjee. Every purjee can supply 1200 KG to 1400 KG sugarcane.
This process takes a long time. To make easy the process after issuing the purjee the
server of the sugar mill will automatically send a message to the farmer’s mobile phone.
As like as the old method of issuing purjee the new method will also contain the name,
address, mobile phone number, the amount of cultivation, passbook number, and unit and
center name. But the new method will only send all the things by SMS. By following the
old method of purjee it let 2-3 days to reach the purjee to the farmers. Sometimes it
reaches to the farmers after the deadline of the supplying date. But now after the issuing
of the purjee it reaches to farmers. The mill authority also sends the payment date through
SMS. Beside this they also get a lot of information about how to water the field,
insecticide, fertilizer and credit information. By the financial contribution of industrial
ministry, UNDP and the help of (A to I) access to information committee of Prime
minister’s office e-purjee has started. The project director Nazrul Islam Khan said that
“To ensure the purjee successful and efficient for both the parties e-purjee has started.
Beside the mobile phone service this process will also be available at the union
information service center and to ensure the money supply to the farmer the local post
office will also be helpful.”

By how the e-purjee has started :

The purjee has started at Panchagar, Thokurgao, Shampur, Rangpur, Joypurhat,

Gaibandha, Rajshahi, Nator, Northbengal, Kushtia, Faridpur, Mobarakgonj and Pabna
sugar mill. Before starting the farmers are being motivated trained and informed about
this process and necessary hardware and software are installed in the sugar mills. To
make e-purjee successful farmers of every sugar mill area are divided into center, unit,
and zone. In every mill has 80-120 unit and every unit has a sugarcane specialist or cane
development assistant (CDA). In Bangladesh we have 15 mills and it contains total 1371
units. Every unit has an average of 100-200 farmers. 2-3 units make a center. Every
center has a center in charge. Mills purchase cane from this center paid to this center. In
this season before starting e-purjee workshops are being started. In this workshops there
was present the top offices of the sugar and food ministry. The agenda of these
workshops was the benefit of the e-purjee and the successful pilot project. They also
discuss about the drawbacks of the old method. They also discuss about the vision of the
government about this new method to orient this method trainers are working and
motivating the farmers. ACDA and a farmer of every unit is giving training to others that
how to ensure that this SMS is from the mill, the meaning of the SMS, the contents of the
SMS etc. The assistant country director of UNDP Bangladesh A.M. Morshed said that e-
purjee will be easier to the farmers than the manual method. He also said that this process
will also include other government facilities later on.
How does E-purjee software works:

To make successful e-purjee at every mill has install a server. They also establish the
computer, printer, scanner and internet connection. Then they install the software in the
computer. One of the e-purjee software developers is Md. Monirul Islam. He said that the
server store all the information of the cane farmers. When it is time to supply the
sugarcane the server sends sms to the farmers. Thus how the farmer knows the amount of
supplying sugarcane and where to supply. At the server there stored different information
such as the name, address, unit name, center name, phone number, the production
margin, passbook no etc. To manage e-purjee there are three operators at the mill. Now
the operators are being more trained to give the service efficiently.

When corporation is digital:

From 1972 to 2008 the sugar mills issued purjee by written agreement. But now it has
been digitalized not only purjee but also another information also shares through SMS.
You can access this address (http://epurjee.a2ipmo.info) for further information. From
one mill to another they share information. From one mill to another they share
information though email. Before they use fax to communicate between them.

If they farmer faces any problem they can they can access the website as well as they can
call to 0155-2888844 or SMS.
Recognition:

This process is not new for the other developed countries but new for Bangladesh. This e-
purjee process has achieved a lot of recognition from the other world. In digital invention
fair it has got the best invention award in 2010. It has also achieved nation award too.

One SMS multiple benefits:

The farmers are very happy with this new process. They can get multiple benefits from
one SMS. They said that they have faced a lot of trouble at those days but now they are
free of it. It has done their work more easily. But it could have better if the SMS is
written in Bengali language. This new technique is a blessing to the farmers no doubt.