TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: Considering the seriousness of narcotics and liquor abuse by students, Goa government has assured to facilitate counselling and appointment of faculty advisors in each educational institution.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the House that the fresh mechanisms will be formulated to keep a watch on the students’ overall performance within the campus. He simultaneously stressed on the need for parents to keep a tab on their children.
“Counseling and interaction of faculty advisors with students at least once a month can be brought in, to control the evils that students are falling prey to. There can be watch on the students and with this the faculty involvement will also improve,” Parrikar said.
Congress MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenco had tabled a starred question raising concerns that students are exposed to evil substances like ‘weed’, liquor, smoking and other vices. He also recalled a brief verbal anecdote with a girl student who told him how her elder sister likes partying and is apparently into drugs or liquor.
“I am equally worried as he is. I agree with your concern. Our children should not get into bad habits,” he said pointing at Reginaldo.
Parrikar however said that government has no control when youth consume drugs after the college hours. “There are no doubts (that such incidents take place). How do I control the activity happening beyond college time? Suggest implementation methods and if it fits within the law, I will act on it,” he told the House.
In the same breadth, Parrikar asked the parents to be sensitive towards their children, more particularly when they are attaining adulthood. The chief minister, who is also minister for Education and Home, admitted there have been instances of drug trade in college premises but it was cracked down.
“Most of them are independent. They are 18 years of age…if parents cannot control the child, how will the college stop them?” he asked, requesting the legislator to give specific cases for taking action.
The chief minister said that parents’ unconditional love to children without proper supervision, was leading the latter to get into bad habits. “Parents don’t pay proper attention towards their children. It is good that a child gets what he wants….In the past parents could not give individual attention… now a child gets motorcycle at the age of 18 years but they don’t understand what is over-speeding; due to which many have died in road accidents. This age is very delicate… A child knows everything by the age of 10 to 11 years,” he commented.
Parrikar said the government might contemplate de-addiction and detoxification measures for youth involved in drugs or alcohol. He however refused for get blood test, as advised by Reginaldo, even on parents’ consent saying, it was infringement of privacy. “Even for criminal, we seek the Court’s permission…” he opined.
