the goan I network
VASCO
Vasco witnessed tense moments on Thursday after hundreds of people comprising councillors, residents, and members of Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) unions voiced their outrage over the setting up of a quarantine centre at the Harbour. Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) Councillors Murari Bandekar, Leo Rodrigues and Kritesh Gaonkar led the delegation and submitted a memorandum demanding cancellation of quarantine centre at Harbour.
Drama prevailed as the crowd had gone to the Dy Collector’s office but found that Dy Collector Paresh Faldesai was not present and Mamlatdar Satish Prabhu had to accept the memorandum. Though Prabhu informed the crowd that news of a flight carrying passengers from virus-hit nation was wrong, the crowd refused to accept his assurances and demanded that they meet Dy Collector Paresh Faldesai, who should give them an assurance that no flight would arrive with passengers and that the quarantine centre would be cancelled at Harbour. When Faldesai arrived, the agitated crowd demanded that he write to his superiors about their opposition to the quarantine centre at Harbour, amid fears that the COVID-19 infection might spread in a densely populated Sada area. Faldesai later assured residents that he would write to authorities about the reservations of the locals.
Later, Phaldessai wrote a letter to the South Goa collector stating that he has received strong objections from the locals as well as prominent people, opposing the quarantine unit at Harbour fearing COVID-19 infection among people.
