VASCO
A differently-abled person from Velsao along with members of the Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) on Saturday the leader of a fishing association of blocking access to his house.
Domingos Goes has appealed to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to intervene and resolve the issue, failing which he has threatened a hunger strike along with DRAG members outside the Secretariat if the issue was not taken up within eight days.
“Despite my disability, I would drive a rickshaw and sell fish for a living. My business was so successful that I had six rickshaws at one time. I had a flourishing business and all fishermen would call me to transport their fish. This same fishing association leader would then threaten that if I did not cater to his load of fish first, he would block my access,” said Goes, while addressing a news conference.
“Today, I cannot get my vehicle inside and I was forced to scrap all my rickshaws since my access has been blocked. I had a car which I was forced to scrap and I have been at home since the last three years. I request the collector to intervene and open my access immediately,” said Goes.
“My wife goes to work and we survive on her earnings. My livelihood has been deliberately finished as the fishing association leader has placed laterite stones and blocked my access,” said Goes.
“Since my access was blocked, I complained to authorities and the fishing leader had to stop work on the compound, but the laterite stones have been left and they have blocked access to my house,” said Goes.
“How do we move to the road to get into an ambulance in case of an emergency,” asked Goes.
Goes appealed to the Prime minister Narendra Modi and CM Dr Pramod Sawant to take up theissue and resolve it at the earliest
“I have submitted so many complains to all authorities but no one seems to pay attention and this is my last attempt to address my issue through a news conference and make my situation aware to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
“I have now decided that in case Sawant does not intervene in my issue in the next eight days and help to resolve my issue, I will be forced to go on a hunger strike outside the Secretariat along with other members of the DRAG,” said Goes
DRAG Member Libby Mendonca also spoke on the occasion.
