Goa: AAP's Pratima Coutinho threatens hunger strike in MTS staff issue, attacks BJP govt

Ahead of the assembly poll elections, Aam Aadmi Party’s Pratima Coutinho on Monday criticised Chief Minister Pramod Sawant-led Goa government for failing to prioritize the COVID-19 warriors when providing jobs. The state AAP leader, while speaking in support of the ignored group, threatened to go on hunger strike with 50 MTS staff members if their demands are not met within a week. She further attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government and claimed that it was fuelled by corruption.

Speaking about the issue, AAP’s Pratima Coutinho claimed that the Goa government had fooled MTS staff by promising them jobs. “In the midst of the pandemic, when nobody was willing to take a risk, 50 MTS staff from South Goa joined the South District COVID-19 Care health centre. Impressed by their efforts, the Sawant government had vowed to take action in prioritizing these MTS staff in the recruitment process”, Coutinho said as informed by a statement by the AAP.

“Even though the government recognized their work and felicitated them as COVID-19 warriors, they were removed from their jobs. Approximately 50 MTS staff risking their lives did their job wholeheartedly. They used to earn around 20,000 a month and their families relied on this income to survive. They used to come from Navelim, Balli, Ponda, Nuve, Margao and other parts of South Goa,” she added.

'BJP is fuelled by bribery and corruption', says AAP leader

According to Coutinho, the BJP government ruling the coastal state is powered by bribery and corruption. The AAP leader claimed that the state government was not concerned for its staff members who risked their lives during the pandemic. “They have assisted patients, changed diapers, cleaned dead bodies, and so on. They rented a separate house because the villagers were scared to let them live there”, she said.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led party’s leader attacked the state government leaders and said that they ignored all calls for help is the matter. “When these MTS staff tried to talk to CM Pramod Sawant and Health Minister Vishwajeet Rane about this issue, they were given deaf ears”, she added. Furthermore, Coutinho added appealed to CM Pramod Sawant and Minister Vishwajeet Rane to prioritise COVID-19 warriors in providing jobs and said that she will go on hunger strike outside of South District COVID-19 care health centre if the CM fails to take immediate action in the matter.

(With ANI inputs)

Image: ANI/ PTI