Locals in Verna have had an uneasy relationship with themigrants in their area.
Besides being a threat to health, the migrants who live inslums also indulge in robberies.
Social tension has escalated in the area, as villagers ledby Verna Sarpanch Flourencin Gama and her husband Peter Gama, who also is panchhave had a meeting recently to discuss on how to tackle the migrants issue intheir area.
Their movement got a boost when former Velim priest FrRomano Gonsalves, now in Verna church also joined hands with them.
“Migrant slums have propped up at Verna Industrial Estate(behind Finolex in Vatsons property) and a few at Mardol ward in Verna,” saidJoao Philip Perreira, a social activist. “These slums are huge health threat tothe residents living in the area,” he added.
Initially Mickky was in favour of removing these slums. Butnow he eyes them as his vote bank, Perreira said.
Perreira further disclosed how Aleixio Sequeira the thenEnvironment Minister supported the migrants and allowed them to be put up inrooms in Nagoa, Pirni, Mardol and the Industrial Estate.
Dr Sujata Kamat of Cortalim Primary Health Centre hadprepared a health report, wherein she described how the migrants lived in 60odd rooms, with five to six labourers huddled in one room
The migrants release domestic and toilet waste into thepublic drain which can be a severe health hazard, the report said. The reportalso points out that the migrants have bath from a common tank in the open andare not screened and do not have health cards.
Fr Romano Gonsalves while speaking to The Goan said: “It’snot just issues of hygiene and health. These migrants are involved in robberiesand eve teasing which makes the entire village unsafe. Action has to be takenagainst them.”
Nuvem MLA, Mickky Pacheco tried to downplay the issue of themigrants. “Migrants live on rent and are registered tenants of a landlord inVerna. If they are a menace they should evict them. Migrants are citizens ofIndia and if they are earning their livelihood here then I can’t do anything,”he said.
Deputy Sarpanch, Cedley Braganza said that these migrantswho work in the industrial area are carriers of malaria and dengue. “Migrantsin the industrial area live in huts owned by Mario Perreira, a local panchmember against who nobody takes action,” Braganza said.
