the goan I network
MARGAO
Left high and dry over the non-payment of the provident fund dues by the Margao civic body, the eight retired Municipal daily wage employees have threatened to undertake fast unto death if the Municipality fails to resolve their issue within a month.
Taking up cudgels for the eight retired MMC employees, Leader of the South Goa Scheduled Tribes, Camilo Barretto told the media on Thursday that the retired daily wage employees will have no option than to go on a hunger strike till date with the civic body failing to address their grievances.
Camilo recalled the dharna staged by the eight employees a couple of months ago around March and had withdrawn their agitation after MMC Chairperson Babita Prabhudesai had handed out a promise to pay their provident fund dues on priority. “The promise made by the MMC chairperson has been only confined to the papers. The ground reality has not changed for the better for the eight retired employees till date,” he said, adding that neither the MMC nor the Provident Fund organisation has taken steps to pay their PF dues till date.
Saying that all the eight retired employees hail from Fatorda and belong to the Scheduled Tribes, Camilo hoped that acting MMC Chairperson, Tito Cardozo, who also hails from the ST community will take the initiative to address the long-standing problem of the eight senior citizens. “Around four councillors belonging to the ST community and hailing from Fatorda are members of the Margao Municipal Council, but still the problems of the eight employees remains unresolved,” he said.
Pinning his hopes on the acting MMC chairperson to resolve the issue, Camilo warned that the authorities will be solely responsible if any harm is caused to the eight retired employees in their just struggle.
