PANAJI
From starting a 24x7 helpline number to providing a single window system and from creating a model agriculture village to working out an economic model, the farmers of Bardez put out several suggestions and views for the State’s new agriculture policy in a recent meeting in Mapusa.
Several farmers also used the occasion to question the government’s move to formulate an agriculture policy when the same government was allowing blatant landfilling of agricultural land in the State.
While lauding the government move to form an agriculture policy, the farmers said that the policy should not only focus on promoting farming activity but should also be farmer-friendly.
Krishi card holder, Manoj Parab stressed the need of launching a 24x7 helpline number for farmers while also suggesting to have a single window system so that the farmers got all clearances at one go.
“We have elderly people who are actively associated in farming activities who need information on various activities, schemes and even to lodge a complaint. A 24x7 helpline number will go a long way in resolving their problems. Many times the farmers are made to run from one department to the other to get permissions. A single window system can be a great effort,” said Parab, who is a resident of Pirna.
He said there should be a system in place where the farmer after lodging a complaint should be able to find out the status of his complaint. He also emphasised on the need to fix accountability of officers who are dealing with complaints and other issues of the farming activity.
Parab also suggested providing powers to the Zonal Agriculture Officer (ZAO) to file a complaint against landfilling of agricultural lands.
“The government must invest in machinery or else MLAs/ministers give machinery to farmers in bid to create a vote bank. The farmers should not be asked to stand in a queue and importantly a farmer should not be forced to beg with someone for facilities,” said Parab, who is also a politician.
He further suggested making every village a model village vis-Ã -vis the agricultural produce.
“One village could focus only on lady fingers while another could produce only chillies and yet another could concentrate on mangoes or jack fruit and so on,” he said.
He said the agriculture department should work out an economic model for every crop.
The farmers also called for a survey of agriculture fields in the state in bid to collate data pertaining to size of the field, whether the fields are cultivated or lying barren, what crops are produced etc.
“It's important to prepare agriculture land use plan so that we have data of how many fields are cultivated, how many are left fallow etc,” Parab said.
The Bardez farmers demanded that the government should take steps to ensure that they get easy access to the fields and further stop sewage flowing into the fields.
“Even if we wish to cultivate our fields we cannot because our access to get down to the fields has been blocked. In the name of development, the government has built footpaths and built walls blocking access to the fields,” said Sanjay Barde, President of Shree Bodgeshwar Shetkari Sangh.
Barde also insisted that the TCP and NGPDA must be made to take NOC of the agriculture department whenever constructions come up near agricultural land or in the fields.
Another farmer suggested creating storage space at every village level besides insisting that subsidy should be provided from time to time to the farmers.
