the goan I network
OLD GOA
Governor Satya Pal Malik paid a surprise visit to Corlim farmers on Thursday, to get a firsthand experience of farming activities undertaken in the village and also to understand the problems faced by the farmers in improving agricultural activities.
The Governor accompanied by North Goa Collector R Menaka and other officers from the North Goa Collectorate visited the fields at Corlim where cultivation was done.
He also held an interactive session with the farmers and the villagers at the Corlim panchayat hall, where he advised them to bring fallow land under cultivation.
Speaking at the session, Malik stated that one can work wonders with the soil than any other thing.
“Farming is a good clean business where nobody can point accusing fingers. Look at this profession with respect and understand that you are at the topmost level in the society,” Malik told the farmers, while opining that a lot can be done with the farmland.
“If breakthrough is made in inventing new seeds, then farming will become a lucrative business. There is a proposal to open an agricultural university in Goa and if that happens, then agriculture will get a boost in the State,” he said while stating that there is good farming land in Goa, which should be used to take agriculture forward.
“I will also try to solve the problems faced by the farmers,” he assured, while giving a patient hearing to the woes of the farmers. He also suggested to the agriculture department to organise a field visit of farmers to salinity affected lands in Brazil which have been converted into cultivable land.
He explained that the Goan brown rice is in great demand in other parts of the country and added that this needs to be tapped by farmers of Goa.
Other officials accompanying the governor included North Goa Collector North R Menaka, Addl Collector-II Gopal Parsekar, Addl Collector-III Mahadev Arondekar, Director of Agriculture Madhav Kelkar, Deputy Collector Vivek H P, Deputy Collector Ashok Potekar, Deputy Collector Mamu Hage, Tiswadi Mamlatdar Franklin Ferrao and ZAO Neelima Gawas.
Carambolim
sarpanch speaks
of bundh breaches
OLD GOA : Carambolim sarpanch Uttam Murgaonkar highlighted the problems faced by farmers due to the breach in the bundhs, which has resulted in saline water damaging fields.
“Earlier, all fields in Carambolim as well as other villages used to be cultivated by the farmers but the same were abandoned due to saline water,” Murgaonkar told the Governor while seeking his help in the matter.
“There is a 15-km bundh which provides protection to fields of Corlim, Carambolim, Azossim-Mandur. Neura and other villages, and it needs to be rebuilt on an urgent basis so that farmers can return to farming,” Murgaonkar informed.
Governor Satya Pal Malik urged the affected farmers to make a representation to him while assuring that he will speak to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant .
