Team Herald
PANJIM: The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday stated that finally the Sawant Sarkar has started thinking of Goa’s farmers, if not from a sense of duty than at least from a sense of fear of AAP.
The AAP in July had announced free electricity for the farmers in the State as part of Arvind Kejriwal’s first guarantee to Goans. The Sawant Sarkar has been playing catch up ever since. Goans across the State have firmly stood by AAP’s promise with 86 per cent of households in the Chief Minister’s own constituency standing by them.
“Sawant has remembered the farmers and acknowledged their electricity woes only after the AAP promised free electricity to the farmers. Before this, the farmers have been asking for aid for years. The farmers just like other Goans have suffered. Many of them are still being the target of builder mafias. The farmers are at the mercy of sewage water being emptied into their fields in Fatorda, high salinity in the Galgibaga River and in Shel-Melauli traditional farmers and orchard owners had to fight a land grab by the sitting MLA and BJP,” stated the AAP press release.
“The Sawant Sarkar known for eyewashes has been trying to patch up its image by public relations blitzes while Goan farmers hold hopes out for aid, we hope this new announcement doesn’t also become a ‘jumla’ like Sawant’s other announcements,” the AAP added.
At 11,000 pumps, the scheme will cost at least 250-300 crore. The AAP hopes this will not turn out to be a scam with overpriced, low-quality equipment which will break down in a few years and create additional burden on the farmers.
“If Sawant is really interested in increasing solar capacity as well as increasing farmers’ income, the AAP can educate him about our innovative Mukhyamantri Kisan Aay Badhotari Yojna currently being offered in Delhi. “It seems that Dr Pramod Sawant has finally accepted that he has failed farmers all these years,” said AAP Goa Convenor Rahul Mhambre.
