"Government cannot be held responsible for high onion prices. We (people) are responsible for being susegado. We have quit planting vegetables and rice. Milk, vegetables, even flowers have to be imported from neighbouring states," Sawant said in his speech at an awards ceremony organised by the Goa Panchayat Mahila Shakti Abhiyan.
Susegado also spelled as sucegado, a Indo-Portuguese word, qualifies for a range of sentiments in Goa, which range from contentedness to relaxed to being laid-back.
"Who is responsible for onion prices touching Rs 150 or Rs 170 or Rs 180? Rains? No. We are responsible because we do not plant onions," Sawant said at the event.
"All of us used to grow onions. Now, we have stopped doing that. Can onions grow in Goa? It can still grow in Goa. Women in Goa used to plant onions, chillies and vegetables which are required for the household for a year," Sawant said, adding that his mother too used to plant onions in their agricultural patch, but like everyone else, the practice at his home has ended too.
Unseasonal rains have resulted in an increase in the prices of onions across the country. On Thursday, Sawant released Rs 15 crore in back payments owed by a state run Corporation to onion suppliers, in a bid to bring down the escalating prices.
( With inputs from IANS )