PANAJI: Cumbarjua MLA Rajesh Faldessai on Monday sought to an assurance from Agriculture minister Ravi Naik demanding that action be taken against those who deliberately breach the bunds flooding the fields with saline water in order to farm for prawns, but rendering the fields infertile in the bargain. Speaking during the question hour, Faldessai said that no action was taken against such individuals rendering farmers helpless. “They invite salt water into the fields and then the farmers who wish to plant two crops a year are left with infertile fields,” Faldessai said, demanding answers from the Agriculture minister.
On Faldessai’s cue, several other MLAs including Aleixo Reginaldo, Venzy Viegas, Michael Lobo and others took up the matter with the Agriculture Minister and sought that he call for a meeting of all the relevant departments to ensure that a solution is found. The Minister agreed to call for the meeting, with the Chief Minister also chiming in. Faldessai also demanded an improvement of the power infrastructure in his constituency.
Speaking during the discussion on demands for the power department, Faldessai demanded an installation of high mast flood lights at several crucial locations in his constituency mainly at the ferry point, at the entrance of schools, the Old Goa church complex and the Mahatma Gandhi circle and other locations in the constituency. The MLA also demanded street lights before Ganesh Chaturthi, new transformers and a dedicated crane for the constituency to help replace depleted streetlights and transmission poles while also praising the minister for initiating underground cabling in his constituency.
The MLA however lamented that the Gandaulim constituency was suffering from frequent power outages which he said were among the worst in Goa. “Gandaulim is a beautiful village, however, I do not think any other village in Goa suffers as much as this village when it comes to power outages,” Faldessai said, demanding that the situation be immediately rectified.