MGP stages dharna in city over ‘neglect’ of students

NT NETWORK

Panaji

The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) on Tuesday staged a protest at Azad Maidan in Panaji against the government’s “failure” to meet the demands of students in villages who are struggling without internet and phone connectivity to access online education.

The agitation commenced at 9.30 am with over hundred students and parents who carried placards demanding to stop online classes and instead to broadcast e-learning on dedicated TV channels for each school class.

The MGP also blamed the government over “poor” preparedness to the worst-ever flood which had recently hit the state and demanded the resignation of head of disaster management authority.

Addressing media persons at Azad Maidan, MGP MLA Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar said that poor internet connectivity has hit children from poor families hardest and has hampered their school activities adding, “Some students have to walk for kilometres in search of network. The government has failed in providing proper telecommunication infrastructure in villages.”

“We had submitted a letter to the chief minister, director of education and district collectors a month ago asking them to improve the network connectivity in 15 days but till date we did not receive any replies. This shows that the government is neglecting the education sector,” he said.

He suggested that the state government should start dedicated e-learning channels, install mobile towers on three tyre cycles for better connectivity, and resume regular classes only after inoculating student community.

The senior MGP leader said the poor network connectivity issue will be raised in the assembly session and if the government fails in providing solution then they will continue with their agitation.

Dhavalikar further said that the government was responsible for the deluge and it cannot hide away from the responsibility adding, “The head of disaster management authority should resign.”

He also demanded judicial inquiry by a former judge on poor flood management and to investigate various aspects including the causes of the floods.

“No proper follow-up action and effective precautionary steps especially for evacuating people and accommodating them in safe location were taken after issuance of red alert by the weather department,”
he said.

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