Team Herald
MARGAO: Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday alleged that the manner in which the lockdown rules and procedures followed in the State show that the government used different yardsticks in dealing with different people wherein the sufferer was ultimately the common man.
The government was failing to understand that it had inherent shortcomings in quarantining all the people entering the State and was found to be forcing only the Goans to go into quarantine, who otherwise were responsible enough to take care of themselves than others, AAP leader Ramiro Mascarenhas charged.
He claimed that there were enough reports of large number of people boarding goods trains operating on the Konkan Railway route and entering Goa who leave alone quarantine, were not even subjected to a basic thermal scanner, but were dispersing the unnoticed in Goa.
He further alleged that the data on the drivers, cleaners and workers entering through trucks and some coming on foot bypassing State borders, was not maintained.
Pointing out to a video on social media to justify his claim, Ramiro said one Shailendra Sardesai from Bicholim had alleged harrowing time in Mapusa Residency where he is presently forced quarantined after a 24-hour journey to drop foreign passengers to Mumbai Airport by bus with all due permissions.
Ramiro wondered how quarantine procedures were not applicable to the workers of 2,000 industries and road works that had started and hordes of labourers that have sneaked into the State.
He said, “Selective forced quarantine was not the solution as was done in the case of Sardesai, who upon his return, was reportedly picked up by police and locked up in a room at Mapusa.”
“Do a COVID-19 test and relieve him from the agony he is forced to go through,” Ramiro said.
Referring to the seafarers’ return to State, Ramiro said reports indicate that they have been onboard their vessels without any sign of COVID-19 for a period longer than the presently prescribed quarantine period.
“Reports also say that they would reach the State after a COVID-19 test was conducted on each one of them and cleared for the journey with a transit pass.” He said, “There was no justification to send them to another round of 14 days quarantine as the travel was duly permitted after a negative test result.”
“If at all the government has no other practical policy in place, it would be desirable to subject them to a fresh round of COVID-19 test after entering Goa. Thereafter give them an option for self quarantine. At the most the home of the seafarer could be declared as containment zone with all movement sealed instead of sending them to unnecessary quarantine elsewhere where facilities are far from satisfactory,” said Ramiro.
He urged the government to understand the psychological aspects of a person who longs to get back home and lamented that decisions were made by politicians and bureaucrats, who had no clue about the anxiety and mental harassment suffered by family members waiting for safe return of their sons, husbands and fathers.
