Vijaykumar Khopre
CUNCOLIM: Prashant Gaonkar, a daily wage labourer working for the Cuncolim municipality as a garbage collector, has set an example of honesty by returning a purse containing US currency worth over Rs 1 lakh to its owner.
This incident took place in Sanvorcotto, Cuncolim, during the recently concluded tiatr festival organised by Rising Sports and Cultural Club. Prashant, who is fond of tiatr, had gone to watch a free show at night. After the show, when he was returning home to Panzorconi by bicycle, he saw a purse lying on the road.
When he picked up the purse, he was surprised to see it full of foreign currency. He immediately went back to the organisers and informed them about the lost purse. After an announcement by the organisers, the owner managed to get his back purse, which he said contained US dollars worth over Rs 1 lakh.
Prashant, who hails from a poor family, refused to take any money for returning the purse, but requested that the Cuncolim Municipal Council (CMC) make his services permanent.
Cuncolkars have also demanded regularisation of his services as a reward. While the CMC councillors and officers were fighting for money and trying to spend it on wrong things, a young garbage collection worker had shown an example of honesty to all, they said. They wondered whether the CMC would learn a lesson from Prashant.
Meanwhile, the Cuncolim Ganeshotsav Mandal, Cuncolim Citizens Action Committee, AVC Social and Cultural Association, Chieftains Trust and Cuncolkars have congratulated Prashant for his deed.
