Team Herald
PANJIM: The alleged stigmatisation of Vasco-residents continues because of the large prevalence of COVID cases.
In a latest instance an NGO member has approached the government seeking justice after a Child Welfare Committee (CEC) member in South Goa allegedly humiliated her for being from the port town.
Advocate Maria Vas, working with an NGO Anyay Rahit Zindagi (ARZ), has written to the Minister for Women and Child Development Vishwajit Rane over the alleged ill-treatment in the office of CWC.
“I had visited the office of CWC, South Goa on July 13, 2020 to submit a letter signed by a boy who is presently staying in a child care institution in State. The boy’s mother was working at Swift Wash Laundry, a rehabilitation unit of ARZ and died in May 2017. After her death, her two children, a son and daughter, who were minor in age were produced by ARZ before the CWC, South Goa and admitted at Apna Ghar. Later, they were shifted to different care institutions on the direction of CWC, South Goa,” Vas said as she explained the sequence of events.
Since at the time of her death none of her children were major in age, the deceased woman’s Provident Fund could not be claimed by them and neither could they apply for pension. Now with the deceased’s son attaining 18 years on August 2; the advocate approached the CWC for assistance.
“For opening a joint account we required documents of his sister, who is 10 years of age. We already had the documents of the boy. I helped him write a letter to CWC, South Goa to provide a copy of the birth certificate and Aadhaar Card and two photographs of his sister,” Vas narrated.
On July 13, Vas submitted the letter at Apna Ghar and while exiting the premises she was asked by the clerk to meet the concerned CWC member.
The advocate said she had taken complete precautions like wearing of mask and sanitising hands before entering the campus. However, on learning that she travelled from Vasco, Vas said the CWC member “started screaming at me and asked why I entered her office. She threw aside the letter from her hand as if she had touched some dirt. She asked me to leave the room”.
Herald spoke to Chairperson of Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Advocate Sushma Mandrekar and she termed the incident as “shameful”.
“We are yet to get the other side of the story but if the issue has really happened, then it is shameful. One cannot be insulted. She (CWC member) could have politely asked the NGO member to leave. We all are here for the welfare of the children and to work in the best interest of the children who are in need of care and protection,” she said.
