MARGAO
Two-time former BJP MLA Damu Naik on Saturday took on arch rival MLA Vijai Sardesai head on, demanding to know why the MLA had changed the zone of Madel fields to Tech Hub after promising to return the acquired fields to farmers.
Speaking at the Krisha card camp held here on Saturday, Damu said the Fatorda MLA need to answer the farmers of Madel and Mungul as well as the people why the MLA could not return the fields back to the farmers, but instead changed the zone of the fields to Tech Hub during his tenure as minister. “The MLA was a Minister for Agriculture and Town and Country Planning. He could have very well helped the farmers, more so after he had promised to get the fields back to the farmers. Instead, he changed the zone to Tech Hub and retained a portion of the acquired fields for community farming just to fool the farmers”, he said.
Damu urged the farmers to question the MLA, who boasts of having a BSc degree in Agriculture, when he comes to their doorsteps asking for votes in the coming election.
He added: “The MLA is now demanding a change in the zone of the fields just to fool the people because he knows that the people of Fatorda have already decided to send him home in the coming election.
Damu also took potshots at his rival for taking credit for providing assistance to the farmers. He said every farmer has the right to get subsidy as a matter of right, even as he appealed to the farming community to go to the shops and get their rightful benefits. “You need not go to the doorsteps of anyone to get agriculture subside. This is your right and you have to take benefit of the schemes”, he said, as he appealed to the farmers to make Krishi cards to avail various benefits.
Margao Municipal Councilors Camilo Barretto, Sadanand Naik and Babita Naik, BJP Fatorda Mandal chief Manohar Borkar, former Councilor Joseph D’Silva attended the programme.
