MAPUSA
Stating that the stand of the Commerce College run byMandrem Vikas Parishad (MVP) has been vindicated, former deputy chief ministerand senior Congress leader, Ramakant Khalap on Tuesday hoped the governmentwould reconcile to the decision of the High Court and release the grants to thecollege.
He said the High Court in its latest order has directedthe government to immediately release grants to the commerce college from thisacademic year and to pay arrears of the last eight years to a maximum limit ofRs 5 crore in six instalments.
The senior Congressman informed that the High Court in2017 had directed the government to issue permission to the MVP-run CommerceCollege to hold classes and to restore its affiliation to the Goa University.
He said that despite the court order, then chief ministerlate Manohar Parrikar had allowed functioning of the college but refused toissue government grants to the college.
“I have highest regards for the judiciary which has finallygiven justice to the hundreds of students and teachers of the Mandrem College,”said Khalap, who is also the chairman of the Mandrem Vikas Parishad.
He said the student and the teaching community of thecollege underwent harrowing time for the last eight years when the governmentfirst decided to withdraw permission to the commerce college in 2013.
“It is for people to judge whether the illegal actionagainst the college by the government was a political witchhunt or personalvendetta,” Khalap said.
Recounting the saga of the commerce college, he said thenCM late Manohar Parrikar first granted permission to the college in 2012 andthen suddenly withdrew the permission and grants in 2013.
He said the reason for withdrawing permission was becausethere was another college at Virnoda just 7 kms from the Commerce college.
He further disclosed that former CM Laxmikant Parsekarwent a step further and requested the Goa University to withdraw itsaffiliation to the college.
“The government may have succeeded in getting its way increating problems for us but justice has finally prevailed. People of Goa willnever forget the sordid tale concerning an educational institute,” Khalap said,acknowledging the support he received from the people, media and his legal team.
