MARGAO
The Goa Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Officer of the Margao Municipal Council to submit a report on all the complaints filed by 12 out of the 14 MMC workers.
In the order passed by the GHRC Chairperson Justice U V Bakre and members Desmond D’Costa and Pramod Kamat, the Commission has directed the MMC Chief Officer to submit his report on the complaints filed by the 12 workers of the civic body on or before October 26.
The 14 garbage collection workers of the civic body were issued orders on June 10 last that their regularization in service has been kept in abeyance.
It may be recalled that the daily wage workers of MMC, who had completed 15 to 20 years of service, were issued orders for regularization of their services on December 24, 2019. During the course of handing over the orders to the workers, the Chairperson of MMC Pooja Naik had even stated that it was a Christmas gift for the workers.
Subsequent to the orders dated December 24, 2019, the workers completed all the procedural formalities viz antecedent clearance for police, medical fitness certificate, etc. The workers even filed their joining report on 26/12/19 and submitted all the mandatory documents required.
However, these workers were not paid salaries as per the wage scale applicable. On the contrary, for several months they worked without any wages and had to even resort to a protest in front of the municipal building on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi.
Shadow Council for Margao Convenor Savio Coutinho who took up cudgels for the aggrieved workers stated that it was very unfair on the part of the MMC to harass these sincere workers who put nearly two decades of their life toiling in the filth just to support their families. The council is taking undue advantage of their helplessness, we hope they will get justice soon.
