Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA: A local social worker and member of the Canacona Health Committee, Shankar Naik, has alleged that he was publicly asked to leave a disaster management review meeting when he attempted to raise pressing civic concerns.
The incident reportedly occurred during the Canacona Taluka Disaster Management review meeting held at the Deputy Collectorate complex on Monday. According to Naik, when Deputy Collector Prataprao Gaunkar inquired if a representative from the Canacona Municipal Council (CMC) was present to address disaster-related issues within the municipality, and found none, Naik sought permission to speak on matters such as clogged drains and deteriorating infrastructure in Chaudi.
“I stood up and requested to speak on some of the impending disasters. The Deputy Collector asked if I was a municipal staff member. I said no, but explained that as a concerned citizen and health committee member, I wished to bring these issues to his attention,” Naik said. “To this, he told me to ‘leave the hall.’”
Naik complied and exited the meeting, later refusing an invitation from a staff member to rejoin the session. He expressed disappointment over the incident, highlighting his prior contributions to disaster management efforts in Canacona, including assisting during last year’s flooding at the Deputy Collectorate and helping fire personnel during various emergencies.
Naik questioned the Deputy Collector’s decision to exclude a concerned citizen from such a meeting. “How can the Chairman of the Disaster Management Authority send me out and insult me publicly?” he asked. He also criticized the absence of municipal officials at the meeting, noting that the CMC Municipal Engineer arrived only towards the end.
Calling for greater inclusion of social workers in such critical forums, Naik suggested that the constituency MLA should chair future disaster management meetings to ensure broader community participation and responsiveness.
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