Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji
Panaji, Sep 22: The Goa government has decided to bear 100 per cent of the cost of repairing and strengthening protective bunds, removing the 10 per cent contribution that tenant associations were earlier required to make.
In a recent notification, Under Secretary (Revenue) Vrushika Kauthankar said the government would contribute the entire cost towards the repair or strengthening of protective bunds.
However, the enhanced government funding will be subject to prior approval from the Finance Department for each proposal, taking into account the budgetary allocation and the financial position of the state.
The decision replaces the existing arrangement under which the government contributed 90 per cent of the cost while tenant associations were required to bear the remaining 10 per cent.
The government had amended the Goa, Daman and Diu Agriculture Tenancy Act, 1964, through an ordinance in June 2021, increasing its contribution towards bund repairs from 50 per cent to 90 per cent. Before the amendment, the cost was shared equally between the government and tenant associations.
The earlier 50:50 arrangement had made it difficult for tenant associations to undertake repairs, particularly when the cost of maintaining ageing protective structures was high.
Protective bunds play an important role in Goa's agricultural landscape, particularly in low-lying areas along rivers and the coast. They prevent seawater from entering agricultural fields and help protect cultivated land from salinity.
Their maintenance is particularly important in traditional agricultural areas, including khazan lands, where bunds and sluice gates regulate tidal water and prevent saline water from entering cultivated fields.
Several protective bunds across Goa are old and require regular repairs and strengthening. Breaches or deterioration of these structures can allow seawater to enter agricultural fields, affecting cultivation and agricultural productivity.
The Agriculture Department is responsible for undertaking maintenance of protective bunds to prevent such breaches and ensure the protection of agricultural land.
The latest decision is expected to reduce the financial burden on tenant associations undertaking repairs, although individual proposals will continue to require Finance Department approval based on available budgetary resources.