MARGAO
This widow of a deceased Margao Municipal worker has now become a familiar face in the corridors of the Municipal building.
Reason: She has been doing the rounds of the Municipal building for the last two years with one single objective “ just to lay her hands on the gratuity of her deceased husband, who had expired in 2019.
Madhavi Zhamuni does not understand the working and functioning of the various sections inside the Municipal building. One thing, however, that has brought her repeatedly in the municipal building is her husband’s gratuity that has not been paid to her till date.
By now, some of the staffers in the Municipal technical and the administration section know her personally and the purpose of her visit to the civic body, but no one has so far helped her to get her husband’s rightful dues.
Inquiries by The Goan have revealed that the Municipal technical section had prepared the deceased worker’s gratuity documents in October 2019, but she is yet to receive any payment till date. Inquiries further revealed that she was literally made to run from pillar to post, with the two sections pushing the buck at each other.
Even as the ruling group of councillors owing allegiance to the Margao Civic Alliance formed by Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat and Goa Forward chief Vijai Sardesai is bracing up for the Council meeting scheduled on Wednesday morning, questions were raised in the corridors of the civic body whether the meeting has anything good in store for people such as Madhavi, who has been doing the rounds of the civic body for the last two years.
Sympathising with Madhavi’s ordeal and trauma, a Municipal official conceded that the widow is not expected to know whether it is the technical or the Municipal section that has been at fault to clear her husband’s gratuity dues. “I have information that the gratuity amount payable to Madhavi is negligible, but the civic body cannot deny the same to her. She cannot be told to run from pillar to post from the technical section to the Administrative section,” remarked the employee.
Virtually in tears while narrating her ordeal, Madhavi said, “I understand that the gratuity amount payable by the civic body is small, but the amount means a lot for a poor widow like me.” She added: “Will someone in the civic body understand my plight and release the gratuity of my deceased husband.”
Like in the past, Madhavi returned home from the Municipality, disappointed and dejected upon being told that the technical and Administrative sections have to address the issue and give relief to the widow.
