Goemkarponn desk
The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday stated that finally the Sawant Sarkar has started thinking of Goa’s farmers, if not from a sense of duty than at least from a sense of fear of AAP. The Aam Aadmi Party had in July announced free power for farmers in Goa as part of Arvind Kejriwal’s first guarantee to Goans. The Sawant Sarkar has been playing catch up ever since. Goans across the state have firmly stood by AAP’s promise with 86% of households in the CM’s own constituency standing by them.
Sawant has remembered farmers and acknowledged their power woes only after AAP promised free power to farmers. Before this Goan farmers had been for years asking for aid. Farmers just like other Goans have suffered. Many of them are still being the target of builder mafias. Farmers are at the mercy of sewage water being emptied in their fields in Fatorda, High salinity in the Galgibaga river and in Shel-Melauli traditional farmers and orchard owners had to fight a land grab by the sitting MLA and BJP.
The Sawant Sarkar known for eyewashes has been trying to patch up it’s image by PR blitzes. While Goan farmers hold hopes out for aid we hope this new announcement doesn’t also become a Jumla like Sawant’s other announcements.
At 11,000 pumps the scheme will cost at least 250-300 crores. AAP hopes this will not turn out to be a scam with overpriced, low-quality equipment which will break down in a few years and create additional burden on farmers. If Sawant is really interested in increasing solar capacity as well as increasing farmer income, AAP can educate him about our innovative Mukhyamantri Kisan Aay Badhotari Yojna currently being offered in Delhi. Under this scheme, farmers provide land for solar power plants, for which they get free electricity as well as earn 1 lakh to 4 lakhs per acre per year. The panels are installed at a height of 3.5 mtrs thus allowing normal cultivation below it.
“It seems that Pramod Sawant has finally accepted that he has failed farmers all these years. ” said AAP Goa Convenor Rahul Mhambre. “Simply making announcements will not save his party. All of Goa knows that it was first AAP who announced aid to farmers. If Sawant really wants to compete he should study Arvind Kejriwal’s Mukhyamantri Kisan Aay Badhotari Yojna currently. Under this scheme, farmers provide land for solar power plants, for which they get free electricity as well as earn 1 lakh to 4 lakhs per acre per year” added Mhambre