Vijai outlines plan to reduce coconut price escalation

MARGAO
Saying that government’s intervention to  bring about coconut price control mechanism is inevitable, while terming  the Congress agitation as a “good drama”, Agriculture Minister, Vijai  Sardesai has said that the government is exploring three options to  bring down the coconut prices; by floating a tender to source coconuts,  entering into direct negotiations with Goemkar Bhatkars and to ask  traders to supply coconuts to the government. 
The TCP Minister further claimed that the coconut shortage  is attributed to the big time export of coconuts from India to countries  such as Russia and Germany during the winter for the production of cold  cream and cosmetics. 
He told the media that officials of the Agriculture  department will met Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday post-lunch  and discuss the nitty gritties of procuring the coconut from these  three sources. 
“Either we have to float a tender to procure the coconuts or approach Goemkar bhatkars for negotiations. We are also exploring the  option of dealing with the coconut traders”, he said, adding that a  firm decision will be taken by the government on Sunday. 
The Agriculture Minister said he had started the exercise  to sell coconuts at subsidized rates two days before Diwali, but his  plea for government intervention was not accepted by the Chief Minister,  who apparently decided to wait for the December harvest. 
“I have been now told that there’s huge export of coconut  from India to Russia and Germany for the production of cold cream and  other cosmetics. All these things have changed the dynamics”, he said.  Referring to the ongoing agitation by the Congress mahilas on the  soaring coconut prices across the state, the Agriculture Minister termed  the Congress agitation as a “good drama”.
“They have to do  all these as some of them are keen to position themselves within the  party hierarchy as certain key posts in the party will be filled up in  the near future. Congress sudden love for coconuts is linked to the  vacancies to be filled up in the party”, Sardesai added.