Former GPCC chief’s outreach to GFP chief over DSE issues triggers debate

MARGAO

In a development that raised many an eyebrow in political circles, outgoing Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Amit Patkar on Tuesday called on Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai and urged him to raise the long-pending issues concerning minority educational institutions run by the Diocesan Society of Education (DSE) during the upcoming session of the Goa Legislative Assembly.

Patkar, accompanied by outgoing Congress treasurer and anti-coal activist Orville Dourado, met Sardesai at Goemkar Ghor, the Goa Forward Party office, during the latter’s weekly public darbar.

The visit has triggered speculation in political circles, particularly given Patkar’s decision to approach the Goa Forward chief to take up issues affecting DSE-run institutions and their teaching and non-teaching staff.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Patkar sought to downplay any political significance of the outreach, maintaining that there was no political motive behind his decision to seek Sardesai’s intervention.

Patkar pointed out that Sardesai and Congress MLA Carlos Alvares had jointly raised the concerns of DSE institutions on the floor of the House during the last monsoon session. He said the issues affecting the institutions and their employees were genuine and required the government’s immediate attention.

Patkar said around 400 teaching and non-teaching staff associated with DSE institutions are affected by the long-pending issues. “I had promised in the past that the issue would be raised both within the Assembly and outside. I am confident that Sardesai will raise the issue in the House and give relief to the DSE-run minority institutions,” Patkar said.

The Congress leader said the concerns were not merely administrative but had a direct bearing on the functioning of the institutions as well as the welfare and security of their employees.

His appeal to Sardesai comes at a time when the Congress is undergoing a leadership transition in the State, adding a political dimension to the meeting despite Patkar’s assertion that the initiative was driven solely by the merits of the DSE institutions’ demands.

The presence of Patkar and Dourado at the Goa Forward office, however, is likely to remain a talking point in political circles, particularly amid the evolving political equations in the State. The meeting comes against the backdrop of Goa Forward’s decision to suspend all alliance talks with the Congress. It also assumes significance as the Goa Forward Party has launched an outreach programme in the five Assembly constituencies coming under the Kushavati district.

Patkar’s visit to the Goa Forward Party office also assumes significance given that the Goa Forward chief has repeatedly stated that the Congress will score a hat-trick of defections in the 2027 Assembly elections.

Vijai promises to raise DSE concerns, warns of disruption

MARGAO: Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai did not let down outgoing Congress president Amit Patkar and former Congress treasurer Orville Dourado when he assured the duo that he would highlight the difficulties faced by the Diocesan Society of Education (DSE), which runs 138 institutions, on the floor of the House.

Sardesai warned that the Assembly could face disruption if the government fails to address the concerns of the DSE and other minority educational institutions.

Speaking to the media, Sardesai said the DSE alone runs 138 institutions, while the number of pending cases has reportedly risen from 107 to nearly 400.  “Appointments, promotions, grants and salaries remain stuck in government files, causing hardship to teachers and institutions,” he said.

He said the DSE has played an important role in Goa’s education sector and sought clarity from the government on its policy, including concerns related to the FCRA Amendment Bill.

Sardesai said he would raise the issue in the Assembly and seek support from legislators across party lines. “The BJP government’s continued inaction cannot be allowed to hold up the functioning of educational institutions. If the pending issues are not addressed, GFP will press the matter in the Assembly and seek support from legislators, with the possibility of disruption if the government refuses to act,” he warned. “Goa’s teachers deserve justice and timely action, not government files gathering dust,” he said.

Political commentator warns Cong of Vijai going solo

MARGAO: With the Congress-Goa Forward alliance appearing increasingly strained and the regional party virtually launching its campaign for the 2027 Assembly elections, Salcete-based political commentator Adv Radharao Gracias has urged the Congress to induct Goa Forward Party (GFP) chief Vijai Sardesai into its fold.

Gracias warned that Sardesai could prove more politically dangerous for the Congress if he remains outside the party’s fold, saying the GFP chief would be free to chart his own course if the Congress continues to keep him at arm’s length.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Gracias said Sardesai had already begun preparing for the 2027 elections by undertaking day-long tours of various Assembly constituencies. “I understand that Sardesai has got a big financer who is believed to be a former mine owner. The Congress and Goa Forward should come together. I fail to understand how the Congress would benefit by keeping Sardesai out. If the Congress keeps him out, he will not listen to the party and will do what he wants,” Gracias said.

He further claimed that his information suggested the former mine owner was not an official supporter of the BJP but could be willing to align with the party. “If such an eventuality takes place, it will turn dangerous for the Congress. The Congress should take Sardesai in and stop him from doing what he wants,” Gracias said.

The comments come amid growing uncertainty over the future of the Congress-GFP alliance, with Sardesai stepping up his political activities ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.