Goa State Horticulture Department Corporation’s (GSHC) subsidized vegetables
scheme from Belgaum whole sale Market.
It was a huge celebrations and smiles all around when this project was launched
but in last few days the department is crying foul and blaming the Vegetable
mafia for the crisis, that means they were all aware of this type of mafia
existence in the market and it will cost most of the vegetable vendors from
Belgaum and other parts of neighboring Goa who are the key players in the
market.
The above scheme by the concerned department is meant to provide subsidized
vegetables to Amm Admi or Goan community? And also an rural employment
guaranteed scheme, ( I am not sure if it is meant for the farmers who lost
their farming land due to mushrooming of megaprojects and mismanagement of land
by concerned authorities and land Mafias).HOW does it work??
Is these vegetables are sold at such a lower rates at the point of origin that
these outlet can sell at half the price as compare to other retailers or the
department is buying at higher price and selling them in loss?
If GSHC can get these at cheaper rates and put some control or these so called
Vegetable mafias and regularize the vegetable prices all over Goa.
I can see the employment is granted but the subsidized vegetable for amm admi
or Goan Community is an BIG?? Does any concern department has got any daily
analysis of food items consumed by average goans including Vegetable, Meat,
Fish and poultry products and also the Goan population against the non goan in
the state?
This will be an interesting picture to look at when the government comes up
with such ideas of schemes, the Goans are fascinated with their love to fish
and other non vegetable food habits and for last couple of years goans are even
opted towards western type of food at the same time they love their vegetables.
Then why the Govt. come with an idea to subsidize only vegetables and that also
bringing in from other states rather then encouraging our own goan farmers to
improve and increase the production, grow various products which are not been
practiced in goa and not to rely on all food products from other states.
If we look around the goan vegetable products has great potential, if the
production is increased and encourage the farming community on goa, does the
concerned departments doing enough towards goan farmers, they are busy selling
and manipulating land records to sell and benefit their vote banks.
During this period of the year if you look around certain region in Goa, Like
Agasaim, Verna, Curtorim etc. people still cultivate the traditional vegetables
and will find some ladies early morning caring their harvest door to door to
sell and some seats at some corners in the cities. Some will spent their whole
day in the hot and dusty highways, (thanks to the so called by-pass), they are
fresh and healthy.
During our childhood before 1988, my Granny and my mother and also lots of
other families used to grow chilies, onions, which were enough for the one year
consumption, we used to do two seasons of rice paddy more then enough to feed
a family of 8 at that time 3 times a day rice meals, and during the summer
season we used to grow all kinds of beans and it was a party for all (Now
thanks to the konkan railway and some greedy politicians for their own benefits
they destroyed this land on “Golden Corn” once said by then Zonal agricultural
office) , there used to be a Gram sevak in each panchayant those and he used to
take good care and pass on the required information’s, do they exist now in the
system?
We can see some few departments with CEO’s and Directors who might been
selected by their political godfathers or they might be belonging to some
political parties and who does not have any ideas and they don’t know what they
were suppose to in their respective areas same as our elected people
representatives.
My concern and a question to every Goan,
1. WHY ONLY VEGETABLE is subsidized and why not fish which is also a dying
tradition in Goa,
2. What the Department has done to provide assistance to few existing farmers
and to encourage and to promote awareness among communities of these products.
If we look around Goans pay any amount to get the fresh catch of fish, look are
the Goan Bars who makes their good business because of Fish, people from Kerala
enjoy their fresh fish as they have certain system in place to provide good
rates for the local community and then only the can sell their products to
other business ventures. Its happening ion gulf countries they are acquiring
farming land in other countries, the time will come soon Goa has to acquire
land in other parts of India to feed their own people.
