Goa dentists wear black bands at interaction with Nadda to protest biomedical waste handling charges hike

A group of private dentists in Goa wore black arm bands during an interaction with BJP president J P Nadda here to register their protest against the recent hike in biomedical waste handling charges by the state government.

The dentists registered the protest during the interaction that Nadda held with medical professionals from different streams late Wednesday evening, which was organised by the BJP's state medical cell. The group of dentists, which protested, was affiliated to the Indian Dental Association (IDA).

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who was also present there, later said the protesting dentists, who "created a scene" before the BJP president, were "politically motivated".

Eyewitnesses said the doctors, during the question-answer session with Nadda, objected to the increase in the biomedical waste handling charges by the Goa government.

Talking to reporters after the protest, Dr Anil D'Silva, member of the IDA, said that dentists have been "illogically placed in the category of doctors who produce heavy biomedical waste".

He pointed out that a new private contractor from Delhi has been hired to collect the biomedical waste, and the firm has placed dentists in the category of those producing higher quantity of such waste, due to which the charges have gone up.

Talking to reporters over the protest, CM Sawant said the dentists had met him in the past and their demand was under consideration.

"There was no need to protest during such a function as it is a state subject and I had answered properly to their questions," he said.

Sawant said that some doctors who were "politically motivated" were creating a scene at the function, where the BJP chief was present.

Issuing a statement over the incident, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) last night said, "With respect to today's incident during the doctors interaction at Hotel Fidalgo, the CM assures to positively resolve the issues raised by the aggrieved, unfortunately for reasons unknown, the protest began after the assurance was given."