PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that the government will provide funds to repair khazan bundhs on priority whose tenant association submit applications to Zonal Agriculture Office (ZAO)) with the undertaking that the khazan lands thus protected will be cultivated by farmers.
Speaking on the resolution tabled by St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar for the protection of 3,000 years old khazan system of the State, Sawant said that the government cannot take up the repairs of all bundhs at one go and assured to provide funds to farmers’ bodies to repair respective bundhs on the condition that they will start cultivating the fields after repairs. The respective Taluka Mamlatdar will be asked to ensure that such tenants associations have held general body meetings as per the law.
Earlier, members Vijai Sardessai, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, Venzy Viegas and others spoke on the need to protect this age-old agricultural system. Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik expressed the need for passing a law to ban fishing in khazan land suggesting that the bundhs were deliberately breached or broken by people having interest in pisciculture.
He also quipped that Mamlatdars, who are appointed to keep khazans and sluice gates intact, also get tiger prawns from farmers. The resolution was later withdrawn by the St Andre MLA.
