Team Herald
PANJIM: Agriculture Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar on Wednesday gave an assurance that his department will address all the grievances faced by farmers whose fields are suffering due to the damaged adjoining bandharas.
While listing out areas such as the Muddher bandh in the Malar part of Divar Island, the minister said instructions have been given to the officials concerned to carry out urgent renovation works.
Farmers from other parts of Goa such as St Andre village have also approached the department regarding damage to bhandaras.
Kavlekar said that the government is aware of the damage caused by the monsoon and the recent Cyclone Tautkae and that the Zonal Agricultural Offices are coordinating the inspection and relief efforts.
He further stated that there are many schemes with the government to provide assistance to the farmers in various forms.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recently had a meeting to discuss long-term steps to protect, and repair bandharas. Sawant had then said that in order to stop the saline water from entering the fields from breaches on existing notified bandharas, they were considering changing the present system under which bhandaras are maintained. He said it would soon become a 90/10 basis in the interest of the farmers as opposed to the 50/50 basis, on which the existing system works.
