CANACONA
Around 70 grievances main pertaining to the Griha Aadhaar, Dayanand Social Security Scheme (DSSS) and Mhaje Ghar schemes were put forth at the ‘Sarkar Tumchya Dari’ event in Canacona on Saturday.
The event witnessed some tense moments when Congress party workers staged a protest and made unsuccessful attempts to enter the Ravindra Bhavan auditorium.
PWD Minister Digamber Kamat, who presided over the public meeting, said most of the grievances pertained to the Griha Aadhaar, DSSS and Mhaje Ghar schemes, and assuared that separate camp to resolve the Griha Aadhaar and DSSS issues would be convened in Canacona by the Khushawati District Collector.
“Moreover, as decided in the cabinet meeting, the Mhaje Ghar scheme nodal officer will hold a separate camp to address the various issues regarding the Mhaje Ghar Scheme,” the minister said.
As the public interactions were underway, a group of Congress workers led by Congress leader Janardhan Bhandari placed placards and banners at the entrance to Ravindra Bhavan and began chanting slogans against the government.
They later tried to enter the main auditorium but were stopped by a police team at the main door.
Heated arguments took place between the Congress workers and a strong police team led by Canacona PI Terrence D’Costa.
The police managed to persuade the Congress workers to first register their grievances at the registration desk and only thereafter, enter the hall without placards.
The agitating leaders then headed towards registration desk, and waited for the minister to come out and hear their grievances.
Kamat then phoned Bhandari and invited a group of protestors inside the hall to have a mutual interaction but without banners/placards.
Bhandari and a delegation later entered the hall and interacted with the minister on issues pertaining to healthcare, fire station back to the town. Bhandari later told reporters that Kamat assured to address all issues.
During the event, social activist Shubham Komarpant put forth several demands pertaining to health, water supply, fire station, agriculture, and irrigation.
Senior Citizen Natividade De Sa requested the minister to felicitate the twin feasts to be celebrated annually at Anjediva Island, now under custody of the Seabird project of the Indian Navy.
Before the public hearings began, four orders under the Mhaje Ghar Scheme were handed over to the beneficiaries, Vithal Pagi, Dinesh Desai, Vasumati Raikar and Sonu Velip.
Among the officials present at the event were Secretary (Agriculture) Nikhil Desai, Khushawati District Collector Gurudas Tubki Desai, Canacona Dy Collector Bhagwant Karmali, and Mamlatdar Rohan Paes.
