POINGUINNIM: Around 900 people from different parts of the Canacona taluka observed hunger strike in protest against the government’s failure to provide basic health care facilities at the Community Health Centre.

The agitators before beginning their hunger strike took out a rally; the rally starting from the KTC bus stand at Chauri wended its way through the road close to Chauri old bus stand and culminated at the mamlatdar’s office.

The call for agitation was given by Canacona Health Welfare Committee; an elderly person from Agonda Mr Laso Velip garlanded that portrait of Mahatma Gandhi to remind the gathered people of the importance of Gandhi’s principles of non-violence, which brought freedom to the country from the British rule.

Poinguinnim MLA, Mr Ramesh Tawadkar, who participated in the agitation, addressed the agitators. Mr Tawadkar said that even if after this agitation the government failed to look into the demands of the people from Canacona, then they would have to stop the total working of government machinery in and around Canacona.

He further said that the government so far had been insensitive to the health care needs of the people in Canacona and as such the people had to go on the hunger strike. Three parish priests from Canacona also participated in the rally and later on in the hunger strike.

Those who spoke on the occasion included CHWC president, Mr D’Silva, secretary Mr Sanjay Komarpant, Mr Elvis Fernandes, Canacona Congress block president, councillors, Mr Dilip Kenkre and Mr Santosh Gaonkar, Gaondongrem sarpanch, Mr Vishant Gaonkar, Mr Omu Dhuri, Mr Krishna Desai, Mr Valeriano Viegas, Mr Honorato Fernandes, Ms Milan Desai, Mr Natividade D’Sa, Mr Wilson Fernandes, Mr Ramesh Desai besides others. Interestingly 70 per cent of the participants in the agitation were females. The police force was present at the place of hunger strike to prevent any untoward incident.