Na bhindi, na gajar veg crisis deepens
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, FEB 9
The vegetable crisis facing Goa deepened on Wednesday. It is likely the crisis will continue tomorrow as Youth Congress activists in a backlash decided to converge on all the State’s check-posts to stop vegetable supply to the State.
Goa Pradesh Youth Congress (GPYC) has planned the protest to strike back at the Belgaum-based wholesalers and vegetable cartels in the State who have sabotaged the scheme of the Goa State Horticulture Corporation (GSHC).
Talking to reporters, GPYC General Secretary Upendra Ghatwal said they will make sure that not a single truck carrying vegetables from Belgaum enters Goa.
“We will not allow a single truck with vegetables to enter Goa till Belgaum wholesalers resume supply to the corporation,” he said.
Ghatwal said that GPYC activists would wait at all the check posts to stop movement of trucks. “The activists will not destroy the vegetables or attack the trucks, but instead send them back to Belgaum,” Ghatwal said adding if vegetable meant for the corporation was allowed to be transported by the wholesalers the strike would be withdrawn. (Related reports on pg 3)
He claimed some anti-social elements affiliated to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka were trying to sabotage the GSHC’s scheme of providing subsidised vegetables.
“The vegetable mafias of both States have come together and are creating problems. They are supported by BJP in Karnataka,” he asserted.
Ghatwal alleged several members from Goa had gone to Belgaum supporting the protest. “We have the list of names and the same will be disclosed at the right time,” he mentioned.
The corporation has 350-odd outlets that sell vegetables at affordable rates across the State. GPYC informed the corporation was bearing a subsidy burden of Rs 2.25 crore.
GPYC has urged the State government to intervene in the matter by calling upon its counterparts in Karnataka.
Trouble between the corporation and Belgaum-based wholesalers began on Tuesday when 130 tons of vegetable on its way to Goa was destroyed by the latter.
The State government has sent a high-level team headed by the agriculture secretary to sort out the issue.
