MARGAO: These workers sourced from several self-help groups for the town’s door-to-door garbage collection have neither been gloves nor masks, even as the Margao Municipal Council takes great pride in asserting that SHGs have taken over the city’s door-to-door waste collection saving the civic body from the monthly financial liability to the tune of Rs 17 lakh.
Sadly, members of the SHGs, mostly comprising women, many of them middle aged and elderly, are still awaiting the gloves, masks, aprons and coats promised by the municipal authorities.
Secondly, the women working in unhygienic conditions during waste segregation at source is an exception rather than a rule and the same has not spurred the civic authorities to step in and provide the basic sanitary items to the workforce. While many in the civic body may be tempted to shirk its responsibility saying that the door to door exercise is now handled by the SHGs, the fact remains that these workers are all working for the civic body as per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the SHGs with the municipality.
Hopes were raised in the corridors of the Civic body that the workers may receive their quota of gloves, masks and aprons from Goa Urban Development Agency (GSUDA) later this week when Urban Development Minister, Francis D’Souza visited the civic body. But it has now come to light that a formal proposal from the civic body has not gone to the GSUDA under the National Urban Livelihood Mission under which a grant can be made to procure these sanitary items for the workers.
Says Celsa Antao, who is coordinating between the GSUDA and the Civic bodies under the National Urban Livelihood Mission: “GSUDA has provided aprons and gloves for one particular SHG after we received an application. Unless, we receive applications from the civic body or the SHGs, things will not move in the right direction. Under the scheme, there’s a provision to provide coats, gloves sand masks for members of the SHGs provided they apply for the same”.
When Herald contacted MMA Chief Officer, Naveen S L, IAS to shed light on the failure to provide gloves and masks for workers under the SHGs, he admitted that the Civic body cannot shirk its responsibility in making available these items for the workers.
“I was told that GSUDA will give gloves, masks and other items to the workers. These workers cannot work in these conditions. I will take a close look at the issue”, Naveen said.
While the GSUDA has
provided gloves, masks and aprons to one of the SHGs,
another group from Colmorod received the items through sponsorship from a local school.
