Team Herald
VASCO: Mormugao councillor Saifullah Khan on Wednesday said the government should consider waiving off the electricity and water bills of three months of the consumers in Mangor, which was earlier a containment zone.
He put forth a demand before the South Goa Collector to provide a relief package of Rs 5,000 to the construction workers from Mangor.
Khan informed media persons that the life in the containment zone during the 70 days was not easy and the residents went through great agony. People have suffered physically and psychologically due to CoVID cases, insufficient supply of essentials, lack of clarity over several issues, loss of jobs, social stigma and discrimination.
He said, “Now it is the right time for the district administration and the State government to support the people of Mangor as for the last two months these people have abided by the government’s order.” Khan demanded that each house from the Mangor be provided with two LPG cylinders.
He said, “Our demands are viable and justifiable because the people residing in the Mangor hill, majority of them are doing daily wage workers. They have suffered economically and on the health front too. Presently, people do not have jobs and money. At this time, it is the government these people can look up to. These demands should be fulfilled by the concerned authorities immediately to provide relief to these needy people”.
Khan said, “Mangor Hill residents recently organised the blood plasma donation camp. People here have lost their jobs and their families and children are suffering due to social stigma. The government needs to give serious thought to this matter and should support the Mangor people against such discrimination”.
Mangor locals said that the picture is not very pleasing as it looked initially. Locals especially the daily wage labourers are struggling to find jobs.
A local Balkrishna Salgaonkar said, “Many labourers in my neighbourhood are struggling to find jobs. Due to the pandemic, the economy has suffered. There is no major construction and other manual activities, which have rendered the labourers jobless. I feel the State government should support these daily wage workers with monetary help.”
Another youth from the Mangor area said he was working at a factory in Verna few months ago. Following the Mangor Hill containment, he remained at home for nearly 70 days.
“On Wednesday passes were made, but we do not know whether we will be taken back by the factory. It is high time that the concerned authority should intervene and issue orders to all private sector establishments to take back their employees, he added.”
