MARGAO
Deputy Chief Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar has said the Agriculture Department has taken steps to encourage and promote community farming in the state, saying the difficulties in making the Krishi Card are also being eased out to facilitate farming in the state.
Addressing the Special Board meeting of Goa Agriculture Produce and Livestock Marketing Board, Kavlekar detailed various schemes unveiled by the Agriculture Department in recent times, including the scheme to promote community farming.
He said the State is steadily making progress towards adapting modern techniques in farming, which is expected to attract the new generation towards farming in the state. The vision of this department is healthy Goa, wealthy farmer”, he reiterated and acknowledged the felicitation of organic cashew growers by Adarsh Krishi Sanstha at Balli.
Speaking further Dy CM Kavlekar said, “I will look in to all your suggestions. The marketing board is in hands of good board which had made record profits until two years ago.”
The board will be presenting a memorandum to the Government in the near future suggesting various income improvement measures that the Government is expected to take as per the board. The chairman of the board Prakash Shankar Velip, informed Dy CM that that various revenue generating measures are being chalked out to improve income of the board.
A host of measures for revenue improvement of the marketing board were suggested during the meeting. This included applying the term market yard to the state boundaries of Goa instead of only the compound of the yards. “This will bring selling activity of Agriculture products in the State of Goa under the purview of the marketing board” said Premanand Mhambre, adding “We are paying employees at par with 7th Pay commission scales, hence the salary burden on the board has increased” he said further.
The board was welcomed by the Chairman Prakash Velip and vote of thanks was proposed by Vice Chairman Premanand Mhambre.
