MARGAO
The annual Goa Cashew Fest hosted in the State capital over the weekend saw ministers promoting feni amongst Goans for its medicinal properties.
Cashew took centre stage at the meeting of the South Goa Zilla panchayat meeting on Wednesday, but for a different reason “ a request for a bailout package for the farmers due to a poor cashew season this year.
In fact, Zilla Panchayat members took up cudgels for the beleaguered cashew farmers from the State’s hinterland as the poor season has left the farmers with little or no income.
Highlighting the plight of the cashew farmers, Zilla members made a fervent plea to the government to consider a bailout package for the farming community. They demanded intervention by the government over the poor cashew season, fearing that the season would have an economic fallout on the farmers earning a living through the activity.
“Leave alone cashew nuts, cashew feni will be in short supply this season due to the poor output. This year, the season has come down drastically by around 50 per cent. Farmers in the hinterland look forward to a good cashew season to meet their requirements,” the ZP members said.
South Goa Zilla Panchayat Chairperson Suvarna Tendulkar assured the members that the District Panchayat body would convey the sentiments of the members to the government with a plea to work out a package for the beleaguered farmers.
The request by the South Goa Zilla panchayat members for a package for the cashew farmers comes close on the heels of the chairman of the Quepem Adarsh Cooperative Society Prakash Velip demanding that the government declare a cashew famine this year due to the drastic fall in cashew production.
Meanwhile, Zilla Panchayat members highlighted a host of issues at the meeting chaired by Chairperson Suvarna Tendulkar at the meeting. The members demanded that the government extend the facility provided to the absentee voters in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections to the Zilla Panchayat and Panchayat elections as well.
They have also demanded that the government review the decisions taken to cancel the ration cards of the people on the plea that they did not procure the ration.
Members have asked for an additional ferry in river Zuari on the Adpai-Rassaim route to cater to the growing requirements of the commuters. Tendulkar said the Zilla Panchayat would write to the Department of River Navigation to consider the request of the members.
Members also called for streamlining of the sanction of bills of Zilla Panchayat works executed by the contractors. While conceding some delay, the Chairperson attributed the delay to the fact that technical officials, including the ZP Executive Engineer, Assistant Engineers and Junior engineers have been reporting for work only twice a week. Tendulkar said she would take up the matter with the government to sanction the officials and staff.
