PANJIM: Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) has accused the government of neglecting Konkani and Marathi medium schools and demanded that the state government implements the National Education Policy (NEP) norms in Goa.
BBSM convenor Audhoot Kamat informed that for the current academic year 2019-20 the government had received 30 applications for starting new primary schools of which 22 were for Konkani medium and 8 for Marathi medium.
“All the 30 applications were rejected and none were granted permission. Since 2012 the BJP government has been blowing the trumpet that mother tongue is our policy for medium of instruction. But beyond that they have not done anything”, he stated.
In light of the various schemes announced by former chief ministers including Laxmikant Parsekar and late Manohar Parrikar, BBSM demanded that with a clear full majority now of 27 MLAs the BJP should proceed to fulfil the promises made to Goans.
Founding member BBSM Subhash Velingkar said “Dr Pramod Sawant led Goa government should implement the National Education Policy norms in the state. We demand that Dr Pramod Sawant should fulfil the promises made by Parrikar who the CM respects as his master (guru). The Chief Minister should fulfil the promise of late Parrikar that grants will be given only to Konkani and Marathi.”
BBSM has demanded a full time education minister in the state with independent charge and provide all the benefits as promised in MoI policy declared by the BJP government in 2012.
Former bureaucrat and BBSM central working committee member Arvind Bhatikar questioned the government on the education policy. “In Goa we find every kind of policy right from tourism policy, IT policy and so on, but where is the education policy for the state. On lines with the National Education Policy, government should implement the norms in Goa,” he demanded.
