Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Nov 9: A protest led by farmer Uday Prabhudesai from Pernem took an unexpected turn on Saturday after it emerged that he himself was responsible for the very issue he was protesting.

Prabhudesai staged a dharna outside the Agriculture Department at Tonca-Caranzalem, alleging “mismanagement” of paddy harvesting operations in Pernem and claiming to represent the grievances of local farmers.

However, the protest fizzled out later in the day when officials revealed that Prabhudesai had been awarded the contract as a service provider to carry out mechanical harvesting in the taluka. The disruption reportedly occurred after a dispute between him and the subcontractor he had engaged.

According to officials, Prabhudesai had sub-delegated the work to one Candido from Taleigao, who had brought in 70 machines from Karnataka. The machines were later withdrawn following a disagreement between the two, halting the harvesting process midway.

“The current delay and problems faced by paddy farmers in Pernem are a result of the dispute between Prabhudesai and his own contractor,” a department official said.

Farmers across Goa, including Pernem, are already facing losses due to heavy unseasonal rains that damaged ready-to-harvest crops and delayed operations after the monsoon’s withdrawal.