NT NETWORK
Margao
Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant ‘Babu’ Kavlekar during his Liberation Day speech at the South Goa Collectorate emphasised the need of boosting the agricultural sector in the state towards making it a ‘Shethi Pradhan Raj’. He also announced settling of forest rights claims and setting up of farmer producer organisations (FPO) in the state.
Speaking after the unfurling of the national flag and reviewing the parade as part of the Goa Liberation Day official function, Kavlekar said there were many reforms that had been introduced in the agriculture field. “Today in all the 12 talukas there are Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) where farmers will be benefited whether they grow chilli, paddy, cashew or any other produce. With these FPO’s it will be possible for the farmers to get a good rate. Today we have taken 1,400 tonnes of vegetables from 1,200 farmers and 2,200 kilos of seeds have been distributed through the various ZAOs. Cashew plantation has also increased. The Krishi card compulsion for farmers has also been reduced and this is allowing better benefit for farmers. One lakh fruit bearing trees have been planted this year and 387 machines including combined harvester, tractors, power tillers and weed cutters have been given at subsidy,” he said.
“There are a lot of forest rights claims that are still pending and we are putting in every effort to resolve it. We are targeting to complete the mapping process for this in the next six months,” said Kavlekar.
During his speech, Kavlekar also recalled former chief ministers of Goa including Dayanand Bandodkar for his reforms in the educational field, Shashikala Kakodkar for her land reform measures that are still being followed to this day, Pratapsingh Rane who was instrumental in bringing important institutions to the state and Manohar Parrikar who Kavlekar credited for several developmental projects in the state.
