PANAJI
The Mahila Congress on Friday said it wished to bring to the notice of the Minister for Provedorias, Vishwajit Rane, that of the eight Public Assistance Provedorias (PAPs) they had visited on August 14, 15 and 16, seven were in “pathetic” conditions, with very poor hygiene, and inmates not being looked after as they should be.
The state wing of the Mahila Congress made surprise visits to the government-run shelters for the aged, destitute and orphans and found that only one PAP in Margao opposite Hospicio Hospital was “very clean, with clean floors, beds, inmates well looked-after, and hygiene maintained.”
“It was very saddening to see the state of some of the PAPs,” President of the Mahila Congress, Adv Pratima Coutinho said.
“Some of the inmates were not neatly dressed, and had not been bathed for many days,” she said.
When one of the Mahila Congress members asked a caretaker why the inmates had not been bathed for days, the reply given was that since it was the rainy season, the caretaker did not want the inmates to catch cold or flu.
Adv Coutinho also showed the media pictures of the poor conditions in some of the homes. In one South Goa PAP, an inmate was locked in a room where Mahila Congress was not given permission to enter. On looking through the window the members found an elderly inmate lying on a bed without bedding and in unhygienic conditions.
“It appears that the funds being given for the PAPs are not being properly utilised,” said Adv Coutinho. “We request Vishwajit Rane to visit these homes at least once a month. We would also like to know when was the last time he visited any of the PAPs,” she demanded.
Many of the inmates expressed to members of the Mahila Congress that the shelters were cleaned when a visit from a Minister or MLA was scheduled and not otherwise.
The Mahila Congress also made it clear that they would be visiting these PAPs every second month to ensure that the inmates were being taken care of.
