PONDA: Objecting to government decision to allow women to work on night shift, the Marcaim gram sabha on Sunday demanded that villagers be provided with 80 per cent jobs in the Marcaim Industrial Estate.
Rajesh Naik, a local said, “The Central Government has made act to protect women by preventing them from night shift and the State government is allowing permission to night shift is in violation of Section 254 of Central Government Act.”
The locals decided to stage a peaceful protest in front of the Marcaim Industrial Estate against the state’s government decision.
The villagers demanded that the night shift duty be scrapped at Marcaim Industrial Estate.
Sarpanch Asmitha Madkaikar chaired the gram sabha.
Locals said recently their fields and crops were destroyed due to the floods in the village and expressed hope that the industries in the Marcaim estate would provide them with jobs.
If this Industrial Estate is not providing jobs to locals then what is the use of having such estate in Marcaim, said Shailendra Panjikar and added that the locals are neither against government or the industries but strongly oppose the night shift duty for women. He feared that the night shift duty would badly affect the children as most mothers would be at work.
According to locals, women’s safety is at stake. If widow in need of a job has no option other than to work on night shift then who will take care of the children, their study and prepare food for them.
The locals have decided to submit the resolution to Governor not to give her assent to govt to allow women to work on night shift.
The locals also opposed the Coastal Zone Management Plan claiming that they were not taken into confidence.
Meanwhile, the Sarpanch demanded that the government upgrade Marcaim Hospital, provide better roads, Cortalim- Marcaim bridge, market in the village.
