MARGAO
City-school students, members of NGOs besides Self Help Groups joined Margao Municipal Council’s Swachhata Hi Seva campaign 2024 on Monday morning as part of efforts to promote cleanliness and hygiene in the community in tune with the Swachhata Hi Seva initiative.
What about the City Fathers? How many out of the 25 Margao Municipal councillors made it to the Margao Municipal square when the campaign was flagged off by Civic chief Damu Shirodkar or to participate in the move.
Well, a photo showing the MMC Chairperson Damu Shirodkar flagging off the campaign saw only Councillor Raju Naik in the midst of civic officials, school students and members of the NGOs, throwing up a question what made the remaining City Fathers to stay away from the initiative.
A City Father sought to lay the blame at the doorsteps of the civic chief, contending they were not informed of the Swachhata campaign.
When contacted, MMC Chairperson Damu Shirodkar pointed out the Municipal staff had sent messages to all the councillors as well as the officials and staff to attend the programme. “I have checked with the concerned staff and I have been informed that messages were sent to all the councillors, besides officials and staff”, Damu said, demanding to know whether the councillors were expecting the Chairperson to call the City Fathers individually.
Incidentally, in the past too, councillors had stayed away from similar cleanliness programmes when the sanitation and hygiene is a major issue plaguing the commercial capital.
