Team Herald
margao: Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar on Tuesday assured the Aquem Baixo farmers that he will take up their demands with the Chief Minister in order to arrive at a permanent solution.
Opposition Leader and Margao MLA Digambar Kamat urged Kavlekar to allow the farmers to cultivate their fields this season; and also to speak to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to de-notify the land acquired for GSUDA.
The farmers have been protesting against GSUDA’s action of fencing the land, which has their crops in it.
Farmers have been pointing out that they have been cultivating the fields for generations and depend on these fields for their livelihood and survival.
Their protests have also received widespread support from the public who had criticised the government’s move to acquire their fields.
The farmers met Kavlekar in the presence of Kamat, former Navelim MLA Avertano Furtado and the Director of Agriculture.
Furtado also stated that the issue had been brought up before former CM (late) Manohar Parrikar and discussions on de-notifying the land had taken place.
