Dakshin Kannada: For a clean village, GP VP Nafeesa Thasli doubles as Swachh driver

MANGALURU: Nafeesa Thasli, vice-president of Peruvai gram panchayat in Dakshina Kannada district, has proved every job has its own dignity, reports Vinobha KT. Once Nafeesa, 29, is done with her official work, the young VP is at the wheel of the Swachh Vahini collecting waste in the village located on the Kerala border in Bantwal taluk. She is a motivation for workers and women in her village. Her aim: a clean village.
"The GP has 600 houses and we have prepared a route chart so that waste is collected from each house at least twice in a week," she said.
The GP received a vehicle four months ago. We wanted to ensure women in the village are empowered, so decided to appoint a woman driver. She is yet to be trained properly. The panchayat development officer and others insisted that I help out by driving the vehicle, and I accepted happily," she said. The waste collected is segregated at a shed. Nafeesa and another woman collect waste from houses and business establishments.
A resident of Kadandila village, Nafeesa drives to work daily. She has a light motor vehicle as well as heavy vehicle driving licence.
Nafeesa, who has studied up to PU, is a first-time elected representative. She paticipated in cleanliness drives in the GP even before she was elected. "I have support from my husband Muhammad Haneef and family. Driving the vehicle is an additional service that I do without expecting any remuneration. All I want is to keep my village clean," she said.