"I congratulate the Department of Agriculture in their move towards establishment of a fully functional e-portal for dispensing benefits of various schemes to the farmers of the State. It is indeed a great step making use of the advanced Information Technology to cater to the Farming Community, which will ensure timely disposal of various applications received under various schemes and benefits linked with it from time to time and also will ensure transparency and accountability in administration.

Having realized that the paperwork involved in applying for various benefits/subsidies was tedious and cumbersome, internal reengineering of the schemes was undertaken by my Government to implement Krishi Card initiative which has already become a reality and a boon to the farmers of Goa. The farmers now do not have to produce any more documents to seek benefits conferred under various schemes of the Government which can now be made available to the farmers only by virtue of his possessing the Krishi Card.

In addition to the Krishi Card initiative, the department is in the process of offering all the schemes, licenses, services etc. on online mode through the website which will help the farmers to apply online. The newly revamped website is the first step in that direction. I wish the website will be a major catalyst in our efforts to boost Agriculture in Goa."