Team Herald
MARGAO: On Wednesday, the residents of Navelim gathered at the panchayat office to protest the disruption of door-to-door garbage collection. The protest was sparked by the discovery that the panchayat secretary, Khushalidas Gaonkar, had halted payments to the workers responsible for collecting the garbage, leading to uncollected waste piling up in various areas under the panchayat’s jurisdiction.
The issue arose when the secretary stopped payments for August. The decision, which Gaonkar attributed to “directions from higher-ups,” left both villagers and the panchayat body in shock, as no specific details were provided about who issued these instructions. This lack of clarity fuelled frustration and anger among the residents.
Following intervention from the Block Development Officer (BDO), Gaonkar agreed to release the pending payments for the labourers and the vehicle hired for garbage collection. The panchayat had been effectively managing waste collection from both educational institutions and residential areas through a contractor, employing eight workers and one vehicle to carry out the service according to a fixed schedule.
Former Sarpanch and current panch member Paul Pereira expressed deep concern over the unexpected halt in payments. He noted that the same panchayat secretary had consistently released payments for the past eight months, making the sudden stoppage even more perplexing. The accumulation of uncollected garbage had led to widespread complaints from residents, and the panchayat body was dismayed by the secretary’s decision.
“These labourers have been continuously working to maintain cleanliness and hygiene in our village. The non-payment of their dues has led to dissatisfaction and disrupted the essential service of door-to-door garbage collection in Navelim,” said Pereira, adding that the panchayat had followed the proper procedure for appointing a contractor for garbage management services by issuing tenders.