Government fails to disburse
subsidy to Bardez farmers
Fund crunch, staff shortage led to delay in releasing subsidy
THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA
Farmers in Bardez are on the edge, as the government is yet to release the minimum support price aid for paddy cultivation for almost a year and in some cases more than that.
Around 3,000 farmers in Bardez had applied for the minimum support price in paddy cultivation and many were yet to receive the aid from the agriculture department.
Those into paddy farming have been crying hoarse against the government for the delay in paying the assured rates, which was due to them.
“It’s almost a year now the government is yet to pay the promised support price to me. I fail to understand why it is taking so long for the department to release the assistance,” said Sai Prabha Naik, a farmer from Pilerne.
He further stated that he has the mandatory Krishi ID Card and has also applied for the support price for paddy, as required.
A crestfallen Shivaji Gauns, another farmer from Anjuna has not received the subsidy for the last two years.
“For two years, I have not received the promised support price aid from the government. We work hard expecting a little support from the government. The delay in release of the subsidy discourages us,” Gauns said.
However, Vithal Naik, President of Nachinola Farmer’s Club, informed that most of the farmers in his area have received the government subsidy barring for a few, who were yet to receive the promised aid.
“Some of the farmers in our area have not received the promised support price. But most have got it,” Naik said.
Around 4,000 farmers in Bardez have got Krishi Cards.
Sources in the Zonal Agriculture Office, Mapusa disclosed that whatever applications they received for the support price for paddy were directly sent to the agriculture department in Panaji.
ZAO sources also disclosed that shortage of staff was one of the reasons for the delay in clearing many of the applications. Fund crunch was also a reason for the delay in releasing the support price subsidy, the source added.
“There are a sizeable number of farmers who have not received the subsidy for paddy in Bardez. We have made a letter to the head office and expect to clear the backlog by July 15,” an officer in the know declared.
