PORVORIM: Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai on Wednesday flayed the government for seeking suggestions from farmers for the draft Goa Agricultural Policy, by email.
Speaking during discussion on demand for grants for agriculture, Sardesai asked, “Which farmer will send his suggestions through e-mail? The suggestions are to be sent by August 16. How many of us have read the Goa Agricultural Policy? I feel there is a haste to finalise the policy,” said Sardesai.
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The Fatorda MLA also questioned the growth rate target projected in the policy. He alleged that the policy has been framed just for sake of it. He urged the Agriculture Minister to take all the stakeholders into confidence before announcing the policy. “When it took 10 years to draft the policy, then the policy should be finalised only after a thorough discussion,” he said.
Demanding that the government should increase budgetary allocation for the agriculture department, he alleged that the government was not serious about increasing the area under paddy cultivation, and called for ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking.
Minister Ravi Naik assured the House that he will consider suggestions put forward by all the MLAs. Replying during the discussion on demands for grants for the Department of Agriculture, Handicraft, Textiles and Coir and Civil Supplies, he said, “I have accepted all the suggestions given by the MLAs and assure you that I will consider them. All the suggestions of the MLAs are very good. They must be implemented. If there is a
shortage of funds, we can get them from the central government. I need your support to ensure that land is not given for conversion.”
