Margao: The Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Digamar Kamat hit out at the State and said, “Feni has a tradition of production process and needs to be preserved with auctioning of cashew groves and setting up of pot stills, which is unique in India. The government must refrain from changing Excise laws to facilitate the entry of liquor barons and commercialization of the heritage drink of Goa. The art of making Feni must be preserved at any cost.”
“The tradition has been practiced unchanged for centuries and whose legacy has to be continued for generations to come, in order to safeguard the interest of the small and marginal artisanal distillers,” he stated.
“My govt had started the Goemche Daiz scheme to encourage and preserve the traditional occupations of Goa. Today, it appears that the BJP govt is all out to commercialize everything killing age-old traditions and occupations; and is trying to bring amendments and change in the Excise Act for country liquor, which will adversely affect Goa,” he added.
“The All Goa Cashew Feni Distillers and Bottlers Association – who are the Co-owners of the GI for Cashew Feni and custodian and the voice of the stakeholders of the Cashew Feni industry and uphold the right of the traditional stakeholders to continue their time-honoured tradition to distilling the heritage drink of Goa – needs to be taken into confidence along with all other stakeholders by the govt before attempting to bring in any changes in law,” he demanded.
“Any change to the existing Excise Act or Rules will bring about senses of cultural disarray, economic insecurity, confusion and monopolistic culture which will have a lasting detrimental effect on Goan traditional industry and Goa at large,” said Kamat.
