MARGAO
Can the Margao Municipal Council abdicate its responsibility of getting the door-to-door workers engaged by a private contractor on behalf of the civic body to fill up the stranger roll forms and undergo police verification as per the norms in force?
This question has come to the fore against the backdrop of the uproar at the recent council meeting wherein city fathers cutting across party lines called for the police verification of the workers engaged for the door-to-door garbage collection.
The question further assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of a report that a door-to-door garbage collection worker had provided contacts in his native state to procure a gun used to murder young city jeweller Swapnil Walke a year ago.
Having outsourced the door-to-door waste collection to two separate contractors, workers drafted for the garbage collection are believed to be mostly hailing from North India.
While the decision of the contractors to engage migrant workers from other states is not at all an issue, the question that remains unanswered is whether the civic body maintains any checks on the workers vis-Ã -vis police verification or their antecedents.
While the city fathers have highlighted the issue of the workers lifting away footwear and other items kept outside their doors, inquiries have revealed that the civic body has no control over the contractors, leave alone mandating them to compulsorily get the workers to fill up the stranger rolls forms of the police.
Inquiries by The Goan have revealed that no official could answer whether the contractors have filled up the stranger roll forms and submitted the details to the civic body.
When contacted, MMC Chief Officer Agnelo Fernandes said the issue raised by the city fathers was important from the safety and security point of view. “If the rules mandate anyone staying in the city to fill up the stranger rolls and subject themselves for tenant verification, the door-to-door garbage workers hailing from outside the state cannot be an exception to this rule,” he said.
The Chief Officer said he would convene a meeting with the labour contractors to ascertain the ground reality and to issue necessary directions. “If it comes to light that the migrant workers have not filled up the stranger roll forms and subjected themselves to police verification, directions will go to the contractors to comply with the legal formalities within a timeframe,” he said.
The Chief Officer added: “Since the councillors voiced serious concern over the matter, the administration will immediately set the ball rolling next week.”
