Dear Samir, I do remember one of the Chief Ministers in Goa promising to promote agriculture at at the lower levels to encourage more home-state grown vegetables rather than the massive importation from surrounding States ( like from the Belgaum area ). Of course the attention of recent governments has been occupied by the massive illegal mining and the interests of the the family-corporate entities that depend on mining to support their family business empires. To your knowledge what has happened about the Mahdhei river issue that was a source of contention between Goa and the neighbouring state of Karnataka ? Is there any connection with this Tillari irrigation sytem and the Mhadei issue ? ----- Original Message ----- From: "samir umarye" <samir.uma...@gmail.com> To: <bicholim-...@googlegroups.com>; <goanet@lists.goanet.org>; "Goa Net" <goa...@goanet.org> Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2012 9:15 AM Subject: [Goanet] Special meet at Sal to address ‘ Tillari issue’
-- Samir Umarye BICHOLIM: Concerned about the plight of the farmers affected by the ongoing agitation of the Tillari rehabilitees, a special gram sabha has been convened at Sal village on January 6 to chalk out the village’s response to the issue. The meeting is significant since many residents of Sal have begun accusing the Tillari- affected people living at Kholpewadi- Sal of indirectly helping the agitators. “ We have been told that many from Kholpewadi are supporting the agitators. If this is the case, they do not have any right to live in the village. They should make their stand clear on this issue, either by supporting us or leaving the village and the State,” said a farmer. The farmers claimed they were not fully convinced about constant assurances by authorities and had, therefore, decided to hold the gram sabha. “ We have been informed that the two states will meet on January 18 to resolve the issue, but there is no guarantee that the problem will be sorted out during that meeting,” the farmer added. Said Sal Sarpanch, Ghanasham Raut, “ We have decided to discuss the problem in the gram sabha on January 6.” On Friday, the PWD placed about 320 mts of pipeline to pump water from the Chapora River into the affected fields. “ In next two days, we will supply water to some of the affected fields,” said PWD officials present at the site.