Churchill to revive agriculture with NREG scheme funds HERALD REPORTER/MARGAO, JUNE 2
If Rural Development Minister, Churchill Alemao is to be believed, he has ambitious plans up his sleeve to revive agriculture – first in his Navelim constituency and later across Goa – with the funds from the National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREG) scheme.
As per the scheme worked out by the RDA department, all expenses towards sowing, harvesting and other operations connected with paddy cultivation will be borne by the RDA through NREG scheme by providing employment to the agricultural labour.
“My RDA department will take care of the labour engaged for sowing and other operations through the NREG scheme. This should give a big boost for the farmers to cultivate the fallow agricultural fields”, he said.
Saying that a survey will be carried out to ascertain fields lying fallow in Navelim constituency, the RDA Minister appealed to the farmers to obtain job cards under the NREG scheme and help the department take the scheme forward.
“This scheme will be implemented this year itself. People agitate over the destruction of fields. I appeal to the farmers to join hands and save the fields”, he said, while extending his support to the farming community for cultivation of the fields.
“The RDA staff will visit the various Panchayat areas and find out how many fields are fallow and how much funds would be required to bring the fallow land under cultivation”, he said, while appealing to the farmers to avail benefits under the scheme.
RDA Assistant Project Director, Anjulo Fernandes said hat the NREG scheme will be implemented along Salcete’s coastal belt in a big way by motivating farmers to avail the benefits by cultivating the fallow fields.
“Our engineers would do the estimates of the funds required for cultivation. Farmers should only show their willingness. They will be paid Rs 150 per day for the work done in the fields”, he added.
The NREG scheme could not take off in Salcete in a big way compared to other talukas and RDA official hope the fresh initiative by the RDA Minister to fund basic farming operations will motivate farmers to go back to cultivation. “There are around 1200 beneficiaries under the NREG scheme in Salcete. Now, we have plans to target maximum people, mostly farmers under this scheme”, Anjulo said.
As published in www.oheraldo.in Gulf-Goans e-Newsletter presented by goa-world.com team http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/gulf-goans
