Gandhi Market Margao -- the above 3000 m2 vegetable, fruit, meat, market centre bustling with activity and stenching, filthy, unhygienic environs and mostly non-goan vendors from Karnataka had early morning visitors on Gandhi Jayanti day 2nd October 2003 not to pay homage to the Father of Nation but study the ills that plague this market.
The Chairperson, Ms.Kamlini Poinguinkar, Mr Savio Coutinho, Mr. Rupesh Mahatme, the Chief Officer the Sanitory and the Garbage Inspectors were shown the "dirty and filthy" spots garbage toilets and encroachments which the Ward XIV Councillor Ms Auda Viegas felt need for a "dharna" before the MMC building on 2nd October,2003 to drive home the point of civic sense in the ruling Group and the Government. The visitors were unanimous on the garbage and filth, and a proposal for a twelve seater toilet and cleaning of the area agreed upon in a couple of days. Some encroachments are to be removed as well. Mr Holer a vegetable vendor was not astonished by this visit. "Such visits are carried out periodically but the outcome is nil". He explained how three trucks of MMC try to collect garbage every morning around 8 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. and again around 3.30 p.m. "why does the MMC not provide us trucks in the night say around 9.00 p.m. where we can ourselves dispose off the garbage directly. " There is no need for such a large contigent of workers around 12 we will do it ourselves" "Most workers are not faithful to their duties they are always " AFTER THE VENDORS " he said with a smile" The toilets one maintained by Sulabh Souchalaya and the other eight of them in the Municipal Market building which houses the Municipal market Inspectors Office as well were today reasonably clean sprayed with chemicals apparently as a result of the "dharna" threat. According to Ms. Alcina there are hardly four sellers today engaged in mud pots. She hails from "kumbhar" community from San Jose de Areal. "Now Goans hardly use mud pots and most have abandoned the profession. Other earthenware items come from Belgaum by trucks and are sold by them " she stated with a resigned look Mr Savio Coutinho Councillor Ward VI MMC stated " there is a need to acquire a small stretch of the road about 75 mts demolishing some few structures leading to the overhead bridge this will help truck movement for collecting garbage but it is yet not done" There is no doubt that even five days is insufficient for cleaning the over 10 tonnes of garbage that is piled there. The market wiring is precarious and fire brigade will never be able to move into the vegetable market. The Government Meat Complex is unhygienic. Following the inspection the MMC Councilor, Ms Auda Veigas speaking to this writer, informed that the Urban Development Minister and MLA Margao met her last evening 1st October,2003 at her residence to discuss the points and pleaded for time to sort out the issues. Need of a full time Chief Officer was accepted. Correspondence exchanged by the public needed to be replied he agreed. He promised to take back the 58 workers who were terminated. "There will be a meeting to discuss these issues on Wednesday and if my constituents are not happy then I shall go on an indefinite fast" said Ms Auda Viegas admist a rumour doing the rounds that she had called off the strike late last night. "Why should I sully my image when I am day in and out visiting various segements of the wards which is the central part of Margao? Why should I be branded as an ineffective Councilor when what goes on in the Council is chaos the CO MMC doing what he likes, the Councilors made to move from one table to another?Worst still the Chairperson does not understand the nitty gritty of administration" "All our energy wasted is futile" said another Councilor Ms. Lobo the ex Vice Chairperson who supported these views. There were also allegations that a Councilor entrusted with supervising workforce was using them to improve his ward. "Why should a Councilor do this job is the Executive not paid to do this job? asked Auda Viegas. One ex-President was also sympathetic of the "dharna", he doubts the credentials of atleast one fictious party who has been given the beautifying of Islands in the City. "There is no Company bearing that name" "Are the stones really brought from Patradevi in Pernem ? These are local stones used for beautification and given a mud coat to camouflage? One visitor Ulhas Chari said "sogle chor" "aiz tuka,faleam maka anik lok pixe" meaning that the councilors have no concern for the city or public. According to one senior worker who has been scouting at the campus of the Building he was vociferous on one point "how can they demand a medical check-up we have worked in the garbage sector and spraying pesticides since 1995 and these carry occupational hazards" Their grouse allegedly is that nearly 30 workers two each of the choice of the the Councilors are recruited afresh. There were some who were not happy of the posting of daily wage workers as LDC's there were rumours that a worker who has a clout with the non-goan vote bank on Monte a non-goan is being considered and two other girls belonging to an ex-councilor and a stamp vendor businessman. One Mr. Andre stated "if there are posts the MMC should have advertised the post and then recruited such persons, using the Goa Labour Society to recruit staff is legitimising backdoor entry" "We must not consider any of those that have been engaged temporarily for completing outstanding jobs. There are two labour Unions one backed by the Congress the other by the BJP. It was indeed a real case of the citizens voice being heard for the first time this writer observed that most of the garbage bins were clear. As the Councilor sat on her "dharna" several NGO's based in Margao ex MLAs Councilors and prominent citizens extended their support and admiration for the courage of the Councilor to bring awareness in matters of hygiene. Until the next day for which the dharna is postponed 9th October,2003 "let us watch how the MLA Margao Digamber Kamat and Chairperson live up to their promise said Ms Veigas" You can quote me she said "this is not a political stunt one can see the stink in the public toilets -- Visitors that come to Margao visit my ward the Central part of the city and I bear the brunt. This time there is no going back MARGAO MUST BE CLEAN & TIDY If the Urban Minister could do it today why did he not do it earlier?" Meanwhile Mr Bernard D Souza a leading advocate speaking to this writer informed that the Chairperson MMC has been sleeping over his project to compost garbage from Margao city at his farm in Davorlim. He said "the Inspection committee visited his project and were satisfied, the Chairperson asked him whether she could get compost for her farm at Benaulim which I agreed, but no written reply till date" He further stated that at a traffic meet when he met the Chairperson she discussed this issue and also spoke of a road access which she said was the problem, Fair enough "but why write no letter" . Ms Auda Viegas took up this issue with Mr Digamber Kamat and he has agreed to consider the proposal. " Surprising indeed while margao is looking how to dispose garbage an offer to help by Mr D Souza is rejected" said Mr Kantak. According to a senior citizen who was present at the site of the dharna before the Municipality, he lamented how even the issue of garbage,waste waters get politicised, this would never happen during the Portuguese era. In another development a city Builder, Lawande sponsored a cleanliness drive of the Margao BJP Mandal which was attended by the Chairperson MMC Urban Development Minister some ruling party Councilors in Ward XIV. godfrey j. i. gonsalves borda margao goa [EMAIL PROTECTED] ________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your partner online. Go to http://yahoo.shaadi.com ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
