----------------
SAYS THE CHIEF MINISTER ...
* Primary education in mother tongue has always been the stand of my government and I have repeated it on numerous occasions
* I don’t see why I should repeat it once more at the BBSM meet
* Withdrawal of grants to the 140-odd English primary schools, which have been receiving grants, will not be possible
* We cannot discontinue grants that were already being given to Engligh primary schools
--------------
Government benefits are not decided on the basis of vote share of any community or section of the society. The public at large has elected us to power and we serve everyone equally
- Laxmikant Parsekar, Chief Minister
------------------
PANAJI: Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar reiterated that he would not attend the mega meet organised by the Bharatiya Bhasha Surakhsa Manch in Mandrem today (Sunday), which is expected to draw a massive crowd of around 10,000 to 12,000.
Speaking on the sidelines of an event on Saturday, CM Parsekar said, “I am going to Delhi. I have communicated this to the BBSM leaders, who had invited me to attend the meet to clarify my stand on the issue of Medium of Instruction (MoI).”
“The party has asked me not to give it too much importance. Primary education in the mother tongue has always been the stand of my government and I have repeated it on numerous occasions. I don’t see why I should repeat it once more at the BBSM meet,” Parsekar said further.
He also said that withdrawal of grants to the 140-odd English primary schools, which have been receiving grants before the issue came forth, will not be possible. “We cannot discontinue grants that were already being given to Engligh primary schools. But we will not include the new English primary schools in this,” Parsekar stressed.
“Government benefits are not decided on the basis of vote share of any community or section of the society. The public at large has elected us to power and we serve everyone equally,” he stated adding that his government will take everyone along.
The Chief Minister further requested people not to divide the society on this issue.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Show cause notice to K'taka hotel
PANAJI: A day after Advocate General Atmaram Nadkarni alleged that a Karnataka based hotel used sand bags to stop water flowing to the Surla waterfall, the state government has issued a show cause notice against the hotel.
In an emergency meeting held by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Nadkarni, Chief Secretary Shrivastava and Chief Conservator of Forest Ajai Saxena, a decision was taken to issue a show cause notice for blocking water to Surla waterfalls.
The waterfall sources its water from the Mahadei water basin that is currently at dispute with Karnataka and Maharashtra over the issue of diversion. The Mhadei Water Dispute Tribunal set up in New Delhi is yet to pass a judgment over whether the water from the basin can be diverted or not.
Nadkarni had raised caution to the hotel using sand bags to stop water from the basin flowing to the Surla waterfall asking that the state intervene in removing the bags and restoring the normal flow of the river.
