Shiroda BJP advises villagers not to panic

NT NETWORK

Ponda

A day after the incident of lathi-charge on some Shiroda villagers who were opposing designation of Shiroda health centre COVID care facility, Shiroda BJP mandal came out in support of the government decision to convert Shiroda PHC into COVID care facility at a press briefing at Ponda. BJP’s Shiroda mandal has urged people of Shiroda not to panic over the decision as providing better health facilities to COVID patients is need of the hour.

Mandal president Suraj Naik, general secretary Avdut Naik, Shiroda sarpanch Amit Shirodkar and others were present at the press briefing.

“People of Shiroda need to understand that it is a war-like situation in the state as number of COVID patients is rising every passing day. In such a situation, the government will take some rapid decisions to improve the health care facilities and we as people need to support it. Today it’s Shiroda PHC, if needed the government may take over all the PHCs in the state and convert them into COVID care facilities,” Avdut Naik expressed.

Shiroda sarpanch Amit Shirodkar termed opposition to the government decision as politically motivated.  He said that all political parties need to come together to fight this pandemic.

People are claiming that they were not taken into confidence while taking over Shiroda PHC, but practically even panchayat was not well informed about it and considering it as need of the hours, we supported the decision for the betterment of the people, Shirodkar stated.

Meanwhile, ten villagers who were arrested on Sunday after they protested against designation of Shiroda primary health centre as COVID care facility for asymptomatic patients have been booked for unlawfully assembly without maintaining social distance and also for obstructing government servant from discharging lawful duties by using criminal force and also for instigating 50 other persons.

The sections imposed on the accused are 143, 145, 147, 186, 188, 269 and 353 of IPC.

Meanwhile, Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC), Ponda has sent them to one-day police custody, informed Ponda police inspector Mohan Gaude.

Arrested accused are identified as Jo Ann Mirandra Silveira (33), Savir Naik (21), Juze Fernandes (49), John Martins (60), Anaclet Antao (31), Peter Cruz (35), Shivanand Naik (55), Camil Fernandes (40), Mayur Parwar (23), Agnelo Cruz (42).

Tense situation was witnessed at Shiroda on Sunday after hundreds of locals gathered opposing the government decision to convert Shiroda primary health centre into COVID care facility following which police resorted to lathi charge to control the situation and arrested around 10 locals on Sunday night.