MARGAO: Asserting that change in governance does not mean forcing people to change their culture, South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha on Wednesday demanded that Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant should immediately restart the abattoir at Goa Meat Complex and the fish hatchery at Benaulim. He called upon Sawant to speak to his Karnataka counterpart to ensure that beef supply to Goa is not stopped.
“The Chief Minister should immediately interact with his counterpart from Karnataka to ensure that beef supply to Goa is not stopped and also ensure that the old bulls and buffaloes from Karnataka are allowed to be brought to Goa for slaughter at the abattoir,” he said.
Recalling that he had started the abattoir, Sardinha said earlier even 100 animals were slaughtered every day there and added there is an urgent need to restart it. He admitted that there are no sufficient animals in Goa to be slaughtered there and added that old and aged animals from Karnataka should be allowed to be brought to Goa.
“We are also against slaughtering cows and what we are asking is to allow slaughter of bulls and buffaloes both male and female,” he said pointing out that beef is the cheapest meat option available for people as not many can afford mutton that is sold for Rs 800 a kg, which is full of bones.
Sardinha lamented that the fish hatchery at Benaulim has been closed down for so many years now.
“The seeds raised there were earlier distributed in the villages to breed in the ponds there and people used to get fresh water fish aplenty in Goa,” he recalled.
Since the hatchery has stopped, he said seeds have to be brought from Andhra Pradesh and other places and given that their survival rate is low the availability of fish for Goans has declined and the State has to largely depend on the fish harvested from the sea.
He said he has raised the matter of the Mapusa and Margao Urban Co-operative Banks with the Union Finance Minister.
