MAPUSA
With most tractor drivers attached to the Bardez agriculture department testing positive for Covid, farmers in the taluka have been left high and dry unable to plough their fields.
Most of the drivers who were deputed for Covid duty tested positive and had to be isolated causing problems to farmers.
The farmers cannot engage the service of private service providers as most of them have been booked.
There are around 5,000 registered farmers in Bardez.
“For the last so many days, I have been approaching the agriculture department at Mapusa for the tractor but every time they tell us that there are no drivers. How and when will we plough our fields? This government is least bothered of agriculture,” lamented a farmer from Calangute.
Seconding him was a farmer from Porvorim, who said that the unavailability of the tractor will lead to delay in farming activity.
“The agriculture office in Mapusa has tractors but unavailability of drivers has hampered the service. We hope officials concerned take note and deploy drivers from other areas to Bardez,” he said.
The agriculture department’s mechanical cultivation office at Mapusa has six tractors that take care of farming activity in Bardez.
Besides, there are 22 private tractor service providers registered with the agriculture department whose service can also be utilised by the farmers.
“We have four drivers who were recently deputed for Covid duty. But unfortunately, three have developed Covid symptoms and have been isolated. But we have provided the list of private service providers to the farmers,” said Satish Kerkar, Mechanical Cultivation Officer at the agriculture office in Mapusa.
He said the Director of Agriculture has now made arrangements and drivers from other talukas will soon be deployed to the Bardez office.
