MARGAO: Convener of Shadow Council for Margao Savio Coutinho on Saturday uploaded a photograph of a person collecting garbage in Chairperson Pooja Naik’s ward without using any protective gear and recalled that Chairperson had rejected the masks and gloves offered by them to the municipal workers.
It may be recalled that Shadow Council for Margao on April 15 had distributed 650 masks and 2000 gloves to different government agencies and had offered 250 masks and 200 gloves to MMC to be distributed to the staff collecting garbage.
However, Pooja Naik refused to accept them claiming that they have ordered 20,000 masks of which 15,000 have already been received. She said they have distributed the safety equipment to the staff and asked the Shadow Council to give the material to some other.
Later speaking to media persons, Pooja said the workers are not using the safety equipment because they feel uncomfortable using it in the heat and especially when the sun is shining brightly.
However, Savio said municipal staff including supervisors had told him that they have not been given any safety equipment and hence demanded details from MMC of the distribution of the safety material. “Public servants’ safety is of paramount importance and it cannot be taken for granted,” he said.
He claimed that the few who are using safety equipment either purchased it themselves or they were given to them by some well wishers but not by the MMC.
