MARGAO
Is there any agency empowered to crack a whip against illegal nurseries mushrooming in Salcete’s countryside and along the National Highways? Or, does the Goa Fruit and Ornamental Plant Nurseries (Regulation) Act, 1995 lack the teeth for want of punitive action to crack a whip on the illegal nurseries?
Pose these questions to Director of Agriculture Nelson Figueiredo as complaints to the Agriculture department and the police on illegal nurseries and handcarts selling plants has failed to evoke any positive response till date.
While a Zonal Agriculture Officer is a nursery inspector under the provisions of the Goa Fruit and Ornamental Plant Nurseries (Regulation) Act 1995, the Agriculture Director has conceded that absence of punitive provision in the Act has resulted in a situation wherein the illegal nurseries are virtually having a field day in the State.
“We are aware of the ground reality. Complaints of illegal nurseries mushrooming along the highways and roadsides is not uncommon,” the Agriculture Director said. He, however, said the Agriculture officials will call on the South Goa Collector, Anjali Sehrawat later this week to work out a mechanism and lay some guidelines for authorities to reign in on the illegal nurseries till the government brings an Amendment to the Act.
“We will call on the South Goa Collector with a plea to lay some guidelines wherein pending Amendment to the Goa Fruit and Ornamental Plant Nurseries (Regulation) Act, the authorities are empowered to act against the illegal nurseries,” he said.
In a recent case, activists of the Cuncolim Civic and Consumer Forum caught a handcart in Cuncolim, operating without licence from the Agriculture department nor a trade licence from the Cuncolim Municipal Council. All that the mobile nursery vendor had in his possession was a sopo receipt issued by the local Sopo contractor.
“This is a serious issue which has been brushed under the carpet by the authorities. These illegal nurseries have been posing a problem for consumers who make purchases in good faith thereby exposing themselves to diseased plants, fake seedlings, fake fertilizers, etc. These grievances of the consumers were discussed threadbare in a meeting held on December 7, 2016 wherein the officials of the Agriculture department and ICAR were present along with representatives of the Goa Nurserymen’s Association and the Botanical Society of Goa (BSG),” informed consumer activist Lorna Fernandes.
She said the Agriculture officials and the district authorities should coordinate and find out a via medium and crack down on the illegal nurseries, while requesting Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai to bring about a comprehensive Legislation in the ensuing Assembly session.
