the goan I network
MARGAO/PANAJI
Pooh poohing Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s action against government servants for corruption, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) Chief Girish Chodankar slammed the government for asking for a Rs five lakh bank guarantee from candidates seeking admission in the Goa Medical college and hospital, Bambolim.
“Is this government working for the rich or the common man. How can the government ask candidates to furnish a bank guarantee of Rs five lakh. This government does not work in the interest of the citizens,” Girish asserted, while addressing the felicitation function of South Goa MP Francisco Sardinha on Saturday.
While the Congress said that asking for a bond from medical students was acceptable, asking for a bank guarantee was purely a discriminatory practice, as students hailing from the Bhandari Samaj and economically weaker sections may not be able to put forward a bank guarantee.
Earlier this year, a government circular had stated that students who wished to pursue medicine had to give a bank guarantee amounting to Rs 5,00,000 for MBBS, Rs 10,00,000 for post-graduate degree courses, and Rs 7,00,000 for post-graduate diploma courses, while the same applied to students wishing to pursue dentistry, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar said, showing the circular.
Chodankar further specified that the Congress was only fighting the cause of students from Goa.
If the government does not withdraw this circular, the Congress has guaranteed a protest.
On action contemplated by the Chief Minister against government servants involved in corruption, Girish said the government action assumes surprising when there’s alleged corruption in the various ministries.
