MARGAO: The Shadow Council for Margao on Wednesday begged and collected only coins as contribution to honour the students, who scored highest marks in Social Studies at the SSC examination, as the Margao Municipal Council(MMC) despite the reminder failed to do so by August 15.
Acting Chairperson of Margao Municipal Council (MMC) while admitting that the felicitation should have been done in July said, “He will ensure that it is done as soon as possible.”
The members of Shadow Council initially stood at the entrance to the MMC building and begged for money from passersby to felicitate the students and quite a few people including some municipal staff contributed to the collection.
They then went around the municipal building and the cobblers who carry on their trade very willingly contributed coins and in all the Shadow Council collected Rs 153.50 during the drive.
It may be recalled that on July 19, the Shadow Council had urged the MMC to felicitate the students by August 15 failing which they had threatened to go begging to collect the money to felicitate the students presuming that MMC does not have funds.
Convener Savio Coutinho had started this felicitation of the student when he was the chairperson of MMC.
“There are 20 schools in Margao and that means felicitating of 20 students with an amount of Rs 1,000 which amounts to Rs 20,000 and if the MMC admits that they are finding it difficult to give this amount, the Shadow Council for Margao is willing to take on the responsibility,” said Savio.
However, Tito Cardoso, who is the acting chairperson as Dr Babita Prabhudessai is on sick leave admitted that there has been a lapse in felicitating the students.
He assured that he will look into the matter and ensure that the felicitation is done as soon as possible for both the years namely 2018 and 2019 as last year too, the students were not felicitated.
