PERNEM
The Mandrem College Annaya Nivarn Samiti (MCAS) on Sunday staged a rally to Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar's residence at Harmal to demand government grants for Mandrem Vikas Parishad's college at Mandrem.
At a corner meeting convened at Mandrem Madhalan Maj, Sunita Verekar, Trajano D'Mello, Raghoba Gaode, Sachin Parab, Daniel D'Souza, Durgadas Kamat and Amarnath Panjikar criticised the government's decision to stop grants to the Mandrem college and threatened to launch a state-wide agitation if grants were not released before the new academic year.
The rally started from the statue of Goa's first chief minister late Dayanand Bandodkar at Mandrem and reached the chief minister's residence at Harmal and culminated at Harmal Tinto. Since the chief minister was out of station, the agitators could not meet him. Later, a public meeting was convened at Harmal Tinto and a prayer service was held at Ravalnath Bhumika Temple.
It may be recalled that the Mandrem Vikas Parishad and MCAS have been spearheading the agitation since last two months to protest government's decision to stop grants to Mandrem Mandrem College of Arts, Commerce and Economics College at Mandrem, which has been struggling for government funds to its Arts stream.
The college is run by the Mandrem Vikas Parishad and its head, former minister Ramakant Khalap, has been protesting the discontinuation of grants by the government to the Mandrem College.
Khalap had recently protested outside the Assembly complex to demand restoration of approval and release of grants to the Mandrem college.
Khalap, former ministers Sangeeta Parab, Babu Azgaonkar, ex-MLA Dayanand Sopte, youth leader Sachin Parab, Mandrem Congress block president Narayan Redkar, Amit Sawant, Shiv Sena leader Anand Shirgaokar, Devendra Prabhudessai of Pernem Swabhiman Sanghtana, MG leader Shreedhar Manjrekar, Goa Pradesh Mahila Congress chief Sunita Verekar, PCC vice president Babi Bagkar, former Harmal sarpanch Daniel D'Souza, Amarnath Panjikar, NSUI president Mahableshwar Toreskar, Nationalist Congress leader Rajan Satlekar, Trajano D'Mello, Morjim Sarpanch Vaishali Shetgaokar, Fransis D'Souza, Babuso Hadfadkar and Durgadas Kamat took part in the rally.
