Team Herald
PANJIM: Amidst the ongoing protests against the reclassification of coconut tree as a palm, the State government is planning to provide additional support price to coconut farmers, in order to encourage them to take up more coconut plantations.
Forest Minister Rajendra Arlekar, accusing protestors of wrongly construing the issue, said the government does not intend to harm coconut production or trees in the State.
“We want to increase the support price given per coconut to the farmer. Also we want to increase financial benefits through various government schemes,” Arlekar told media persons on Friday.
“Government is also open to enact stringent Coconut Protection Act, if adverse impact is felt due to recent amendment,” the minister assured.
In the recently concluded Session of the State Legislative Assembly, the government passed the Goa Preservation of Trees (Amendment) Bill 2016, which reclassifies the coconut tree as a palm, amidst protests from the opposition benches. Political parties including Congress, Independent MLAs and NGOs are agitating claiming that move to classify the coconut as a palm was to support business lobbies.
Arlekar said some people have misunderstood the government’s intention. “We just corrected an error in the law which was included in the year 2008. Coconut is an agricultural plant and not a forest tree. In the year 2008 then Congress led government included it in the list of forest trees which we rectified,” the minister said. “Goans will never go for mass massacre of Coconut trees as being feared by some section,” he commented.
On Thursday, group of environmentalists led by fashion designer Wendell Rodricks had met Goa Governor Mridula Sinha requesting her not to give her consent to the Bill. The Bill is currently pending before the Governor for her assent, following which it would be notified.
The bill seeks to omit section 1-A of the Goa, Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act 1984. It also amends Section 12-A of the said Act, so as to bring the coconut tree within the provision of section 12-A.
