I’m a man of the farmers: WRD minister Subhash Shirodkar

Caramblim: Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar on Thursday said that the opportunity to serve the people was dear to his heart since the department is close to farmers and he has made it his business to serve them.

Speaking on the occasion of the laying of a foundation stone for the work of improvement to the bund and repairs to the sluice gate at Valapoi Manos in the village of Carambolim, Shirodkar also said that Goa will remain beautiful if we maintain our fields.

“When I got the responsibility to serve again. I decided that when I got this responsibility of WRD that I will complete all the pending works which were pending for five to ten years. All works from Pernem to Canacona. People have told me that I have shown the people what the WRD department is,” Shirodkar said.

“This is a department for the farmers and hence should reach the farmers. I’ve built 100 bandharas and of them 90 are complete. Goa gets a lot of water but only for four months. We don’t get to use it. Bandhara is the option to store the water,” he also said.

“The WRD department is for the farmers. That’s the main reason for its existence. There was the Salaulim dam at the time of Bhausaheb Bandodkar. There was Anjunem dam at the time of Rane. Then the Tillari dam agreement with Maharashtra where we would get 75% of the water, we would spend on the dam and Maharashtra would keep 25%. They agreed to it with a big heart,” he said.

“Today people don’t want to give even one metre. But in Maharashtra so many hectares have been used up and we get 75%,” he also said.

“When people came to me with this project about a year back, I said this is something I must complete on priority. I got the opportunity after more than 10 years to serve the people once again. I’ve won 8 elections. I would not have won these elections if I came ahead by stepping on others’ toes. I don’t sleep in the afternoon. I only sleep at night. I work keeping in mind a target,” he also said.

Local MLA Rajesh Faldessai said that “it is truly a moment of happiness when such works are completed.
“The bandhs are strengthened, the nullahs are cleared, fields are in good shape, then it is a good thing,” he said.

“The minister is knowledgeable. He knows about agriculture, about the fields and the hardships people face. If we go to him for retaining walls, to prevent flooding landslides, etc, he quickly says to bring the proposals and promises to expedite them. If fields are flooded, he passes the files,” Faldessai said.

“Last time it was the Cumbharjua bandh, the Divar bandh, Carambolim. Our work is ongoing, we only need to push. He wakes up at 5am and till 11pm he is working with his team.
Now there is a shortage of water. He has been building dams. If there is the support of the people then the work will be filled quickly,” he also said.
Also present were Sarpanch Kusta Salelkar and Panch member Angela Valadares.