PANAJI
The State government plans to turn to a new page on Margao schools. Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar disclosed on Sunday that proposal for a super school complex for the commercial capital, on the lines of the one at Cujira, Bambolim, will take shape soon.
Parsekar said deliberations on the issue are expected in a week's time and added that nearly 1.15 lakh square metres of land has been identified in Davorlim, Margao for the project.
The Education Department is contemplating on shifting nearly 12 schools in Margao of which, six are in a dilapidated condition and six others do not have any provision for expansion. Nearly 12,000 students are studying in these schools.
Some of these schools are Popular High School, T B Cunha New High School, among others.
“Margao is our next target. I have spoken to the Education Director and we will take up the issue in a week’s time. Land has also been identified for the same. We need to shift the schools which are either in precarious condition or do not have any provision for expansion,” the chief minister said.
Aiming at de-congesting Panaji by shifting the schools outside the city, the government had come up with the concept of super school complex at Cujira, Bambolim.
Though six institutions -- Mushtifund High School, Dr K B Hedgewar High School, Rosary High School, Miramar; Dempo Higher Secondary School, Miramar and Anjuman Nurul Islam High School -- have been allotted space at this complex, only two have been shifted from the current academic year. Parents, however, complain that there is traffic congestion when schools begin and end.
Parsekar said, “When all schools are shifted one by one, the shortcomings will come to fore. In Cujira, no provision for exit was made like the one done for entry. This is because many institutions start and finish at the same time. This was not apprehended earlier. It is getting noticed now. We will now have to find an exit somewhere.”
He also stressed the need to have similar projects in other cities like Ponda and Vasco.
“When we plan similar projects, we will overcome the shortcomings which were identified in Cujira. We cannot keep such projects limited to Panaji”, he said.
