Margao (Goa)
The Shadow Council for Margao is once again forced to give an ultimatum to the Margao Municipal Council to declare before the 20th of February 2018, the date on which the felicitation of SSC students from the high schools of Margao shall take place.
The Shadow Council members led by Former Chairperson of MMC Savio Coutinho , Hemant Kavlekar, Laurel Abranches, John Gonsalves, Agostinho Gama and others gave this ultimatum to the Chief Officer of MMC Johnson Fernandes.
Abhay Kudchadkar parent of one of the student recipient also accompanied the delegation and lamented over the delay in presentation of the awards since 2016. The scholarship amount is not important for my child, even a certificate for the recognition of the excellence of the student is sufficient, Abhay stated.
The SCM informed Fernandes that it appears that the council has developed a heavy heart to spend Rs. 20,000/- per year which forms the award amount of 20 students from 20 different schools in Margao. But on the other hand derive unique pleasure in squandering public fund’s on A/C dustbins, Ghost worker’s, pleasure jaunts etc.*
Hence if the council fails to announce the ”date of felicitation” before the 20th of February , the SCM shall conclude that the council is running “short of funds” and hence the SCM along with the people of Margao *shall stand below the MMC building with begging bowls and collect the funds for the award money.
It may be recalled that the SCM members had officially met the Chairperson of MMC Dr. Babita Angle on 7th February 2016, and brought it to her notice that the successful SSC students of April 2014 and April 2015 were not honoured with the MMC Awards incepted by the council in 2009.
Savio Coutinho, during whose tenure the awards were incepted stated that, ” at the meeting the Chairperson had displayed her desire to immediately take up the pending awards distribution and even went ahead and committed to us that the distribution programme would be held on 18th February 2016. And in all excitement the SCM publicly appreciated the Chairperson for her prompt decision. However since it did not take place even after 6 months had passed with yet another academic year ending in April 2016, the SCM was forced to give a similar ultimatum in August 2016. Subsequently, awards for 2 years ie. April 2014 and April 2015 were distributed on 31st August 2016 with a commitment of distributing the awards of April 2016 immediately thereafter.
While it is sad to note that while April 2016 are yet to be distributed, April 2017 also became due and April 2018 will follow shortly.
Laurel Abranches further informed that apart from personally following up with this issue with the concerned section, parents of deserving students have also reminded the Chairperson of the pending awards, only to get unfulfilled promises.
The only excuse that can be heard for the last 2 years is that 2 schools have not given details.
“If the Council finds it as a huge task for last 2yrs, to send a staff to the 2 schools, they should at least go ahead with the distribution to the remaining students whose details are already available”, Agostinho Gama stated
It may be noted that with the exception of *using schools for rallies and cleanliness drives, the council has no connection with the schools in the city. And for this very purpose the council had decided in 2009 to incept an award for ”1 student from every high school within the city limits of Margao, who scored the highest marks in Social Studies”*.
There are around 20 high schools within the city, and with an award of Rs 1000/- per student, the award amount is just Rs. 20000/- per year.
It was further brought to the notice that the council had even committed to all the schools of Margao in writing, that the award would be an annual and permanent feature. Accordingly the schools got it printed on the students calendar.
The SCM expressed its disgust with the MMC for displaying it’s insensitivity towards the motivation of the young minds , and these young deserving students shall allways grow up with hatred towards the Municipal Council of Margao.
The SCM had hopes that better sense will prevail and the council will announce the date of Award distribution on or before 20th February 2018, failing which the SCM shall have no option but go ahead with the ”begging programme” to financially help the “bankrupt-of-desire -Council”.
