SANGUEM: While it is quite common to hear of government servants’ insensitivity to people’s woes, in a rare display of being humane, Sanguem Mamlatdar Pravind Gawas personally intervened to send a homeless man living in squalor by the roadside to a shelter home.
The elderly man Santan D’Souza was living by the roadside at Bendwada in Sanguem for the last many days with no protection of any sort and not even proper meals.
Hundreds of people including government officials were apparently not touched despite seeing his pathetic condition, until Pravind Gawas saw his deplorable condition.
He picked up the old man, brought him to his office in the official car where he ensured that he was bathed and dressed decently. Then he sent Santan to the Sanguem Police Station with an official letter asking the police to house him in a proper shelter home.
What is surprising is that though he was lifted from that place nearly a week ago, nobody has even lodged a missing complaint with the police thereby indicating that the old man is abandoned by his family.
“Wish there were more government servants particularly in Women & Child Development and Social Welfare Department who would respond like Mamlatdar Pravind,” said Donald Fernandes from Sanguem.
While Santan appears to be content in the shelter home where he now placed, he remains silent most of the time probably due to anguish of being abandoned by his family, said Donald, who is pursuing his matter.