ABOUT THE GREEN SCHEME
* Agriculture department will plant saplings on barren hills owned by the comunidade
* Government may allow the local comunidade body to enjoy the yield or produce
* The scheme will be implemented from the TCP Minister’s home constituency Fatorda
* Ambaji hillock in Fatorda will be covered green with Vergurla and other hybrid variety
Since the objective behind the scheme is to bring the barren hills under cultivation, the local comunidades will be allowed to enjoy the yield
- Vijai Sardesai
MARGAO: Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai on Tuesday announced a scheme wherein agriculture department will plant saplings on barren hills owned by the comunidade with a two-fold objective of maintaining greenery and put a stop to encroachments on Communidade land.
Under the scheme, the government may allow the local comunidade body to enjoy the yield or produce from the land.
The scheme will be implemented from the TCP Minister’s home constituency Fatorda, wherein the Agriculture department will plant cashew graft saplings on the Ambaji hillock behind the district Collectorate building with NOC from the Margao comunidade. “The scheme will be implemented on a pilot basis from Fatorda. We will start the scheme with the Ambaji hillock in Fatorda constituency. The hillock will be covered green with Vergurla and other hybrid variety which will give a yield within four years,” he said, adding “since the objective behind the scheme is to bring the barren hills under cultivation, the local comunidades will be allowed to enjoy the yield”.
In this respect, the Agriculture Minister said he has already spoken to the Attorney to Margao comunidade for the NOC to make the Ambaji hill green. “Our attempt will not only make the hill green, but will stop all encroachments by the migrants,” Sardesai said, adding “the hills have been the lungs of the city and the agriculture department will shoulder the responsibility of maintain the green cover”.
He pointed out that directions will go to the Agriculture officials to take up intensive cultivation at the Ambaji hillock so that maximum number of saplings are grown there.
In the meantime, the Agriculture Minister has said that around 50,000 saplings will be distributed across the state for plantations this monsoon. “Today, I have distributed the fruit bearing saplings as a symbolic gesture. Saplings will be distributed in all the talukas, with stress on the talukas in the mining belt and the hinterland talukas,” he added.
