Agriculture dept has begun recovery proceeding against the MAGICIAN farmer, says minister

Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: Following the expose by Goemkarponn on Thursday, Dy Chief Minister and Minister for Agriculture Babu Kavlekar has said that the department has already started an inquiry and recovery proceedings has already been started in the case.
“The case was in 2019, before I took over. When I came to know about the development I have initiated inquiry and notices have been issued to the employee and recovery proceedings have started,” he told Goemkarponn on phone.
Kavlekar said that the Vigilance section of the department has been conducting the inquiry which is still on.
What is even more shocking was that the employee Mahesh Keny, who created magic by showing yield of 14,000 trees from just 53 trees, was not a regular employee of Agriculture.
“He is an employee of Planning and Statistics department and is here on deputation,” Kavlekar said.
Asked why the employee has not been suspended so far or transferred, he said, “since an inquiry was on against him he is not transferred.”
Goemkarponn on Thursday exposed how the farmer at Adnem claimed a magical production, with just 53 trees in his farm the farmer Mahesh Keny has given aggregate yield of more than 10 thousand to 14 thousand coconut per plucking cycle to get teh additional support price of the yield.
This is at a time when the coconut farmers are struggling with different issues like unavailability of coconut pluckers, trained workers in addition to dangerous disease like bud rot, Eriophyid Mite, Stem bleeding etc. Vermin animals also making huge damage to coconuts.
The farmer Mahesh Keny has shown production of 14 thousand coconut in just 53 tress which is situated in his ancestral property which is approximately 30 thousand square meter area, the co- owner of said property has also expressed shock on the development.
The RTI documents reveal the farmer has taken a support price of Rs 70-000 to Rs 80,000 per plucking season.
The co-owner has now made a complain to the Chief Secretary after the Agriculture department refused to act.
Goenkarponn spoke to experts of coconut farming they said “I cannot believe the excavation of 53 trees and more than 10 thousand coconut yield. It is totally impossible”.
Goemkarponn spoke to a progressive farmer from Paroda Dilip Hegde, who said that this looks fishy.
“This can only happen on paper while claiming support price for coconut in Zonal agriculture office by showing fake bills and fake documents,” he stated.