Santa Cruz tenants association discusses farmers' woes HERALD CORRESPONDENT MERCES, DEC 13
The Santa Cruz Tenants Association conducted its general body meeting on Thursday at Santa Cruz library to discuss among other issues the problems faced by the farmers in cultivating their fields. The meeting was convened after some members of the association had complained to the Mamlatdar, alleging failure of the committee to safeguard the fields and doing nothing to improve paddy cultivation in the village. In view of the complaint, the Mamlatdar had directed the Chairman to immediately convene a meeting to look into the grievances of the farmers. Ironically, the signatories of the complaint were conspicuous by the absence at the meeting, which saw poor attendance. However, the few farmers present put forth their grievances to the committee and urged for a speedy solution. They also alleged that some of their own members, who are signatories of the complaint, have put them to great inconvenience by blocking the traditional water bodies, supplying water to cultivate their fields. Purso Kankonkar, who is also the vice-chairman of the association said, "Ever since the water canal supplying water from Bondaval Lake is blocked, we have stopped farming our fields and now our fields are lying idle as the concerned authorities are turning a blind eye to the illegal activities". The members present also passed a resolution demanding that the authorities retain the age-old system of functioning of tenants association and also to retain all the fields to its original status. On the allegations of irregularities leveled by members of the association, the chairman Elias Fernandes claimed that the records of the association are annually maintained and open for scrutiny. "Some of the persons who have leveled allegations against me are themselves involved in illegalities and are now trying to malign my name for their own selfish motives," alleged Elias. http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=13992&cid=26
