In the recent past the talk of the town has been supply of rotten and stale vegetables by the State-run Goa State Horticulture Corporation Limited outlets which has irked operators of the subsidized vegetable stores and left consumers disappointed with this service.
It is understood that in the first four years the quality of vegetables was good. Over time, the operators started receiving a mix of good and poor quality vegetables. However, over the past few months the amount of bad vegetable that was received from the suppliers has reportedly increased.
It appears that if the problem that started post monsoon does not improve considerably, most consumers could probably slowly lose faith in this government-run service and people could be purchasing vegetables from the market. It is pertinent to note that the authorities from Goa Dairy have decided to repair and renovate the dilapidated milk booths in the state.
The Horticulture department needs to do likewise and renovate the vegetable outlets, some of which are in a pathetic state, so that they are made more attractive for the consumers. The vegetables need to be displayed in a proper manner. As the vegetables are perishable goods it would also be desirable to provide cooling system like refrigerators for the Horticulture outlets so that the vegetables remain fresh for longer period of time.
ADELMO FERNANDES, Vasco
