VALPOI: The Sattari farmers on Saturday decided to form a grassroots association to pressure the government to declare wild animals as vermin for destroying their crops.
This decision was taken at a meeting held at Valpoi and attended by over 200 farmers from the taluka.
At the meeting, the farmers complained that compared to the farmers in other talukas, they have been facing a much severe problem.
“We have been demanding the government to declare bison, monkeys and others animals as vermin, since last three years. These animals are destroying our agriculture crops and are also attacking the people. The bison has already attacked two persons,” said a farmer.
The farmers complained that their local MLAs failed to raise the wild animals issue in the assembly session. The MLAs also failed to facilitate the farmers in getting compensation for the destruction of crops by wild animals. “At least 419 farmers from the taluka have applied for compensation, but not even one has received compensation till today,” said another farmer.
“Now we have decided to form an association of farmers in the taluka to pressure the government to declare wild animals as vermin. Besides, we will file police complaints against the Valpoi forest department for not preventing wild animals from destroying our crops. And we will also hold a one-day Sattari bandh,” Sattari Farmers Sangh President Ashok Joshi said.
Despite several complaints to the forest and agriculture departments, our arecanut, coconut, banana and sugarcane plantations are being destroyed by wild animals,” a farmer Ranjitsing Rane said.
“From all over Goa, around 4,000 farmers have applied for compensation; from Sattari, 419 have applied for compensation. But till the date not a single farmer has received any compensation,” said another farmer Manohar Gaonkar.
“Out of 40 MLAs, not single a MLA raised our issue in the recent Assembly Session. No one is supporting the farmers and that’s why they are committing suicide. The government is not listening to us; therefore, we have decided to hold a one-day bandh in Sattari,” another farmer Manikrao Rane said.
“If the forest department fails to stop the bison and other animals from destroying our cultivations, we will file a police complaint against the forest department. The Portuguese government was friendly to the farmers. But our government is unfriendly,” Prasad Gadgil quipped.
“To declare wild animals as vermin, we have to pressure the government. So, now we will form a farmers association in the taluka to press for our demands,” Prashant Desai said.
