Panaji, Jun 11(TOI): Diocesan society of education (DSE) and archdiocese board of education on Wednesday called a meeting of all minority MLAs to apprise them of the government's apathy to their various demands including permissions to start higher secondaries and extra divisions in their schools especially in rural areas.

All minority MLAs cutting across party lines, including BJP MLAs, attended the meeting in Panaji except for deputy chief minister Francis D'Souza, as he is out of station and St Cruz MLA Atanasio 'Babush' Monserrate.

One of the BJP MLAs told TOI that the DSE has many demands placed before the government or rather the directorate of education, various legitimate demands including applications for starting higher secondaries at four locations of Pernem, Bicholim, Usgao and Canacona in existing schools. Although the academic year has begun, the directorate of education has reportedly not replied to the DSE.

The DSE representatives told the MLAs that even the chief minister, who is the education minister, is not responding to their "genuine demands on education".

The DSE also wants to open some primary schools at other locations and start extra divisions in classes of some schools. "They said that the government is not cooperating and therefore they are unhappy. The archbishop of Goa, who is the chairman of the archdiocesan board of education, instructed to call a meeting of all minority MLAs and inform them of the state of affairs," the BJP MLA said.

A memorandum to that effect has been prepared and will be submitted to chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Thursday by the minority MLAs. The MLAs have also prepared their own covering letter to the memorandum.

Another BJP MLA said that the minority MLAs are of the opinion that the chief minister must consider the demands positively because "these are all education demands and not anything more. The archdiocesan board of education is in the field of education for many years now and they impart education to each and every person regardless of his religion."

The MLAs will then convene another joint meeting with the DSE and the ABE. Fr Zeferino D'Souza, secretary of the DSE and member of the ABE, said the meeting with the MLAs was only an "effort at expediting our pending matters".

D'Souza declined to specify the matters but said that the DSE has shared with the MLAs "many things that will be included in a memorandum to be submitted to the chief minister". Asked if the DSE had tried to meet the chief minister directly, D'Souza said that the DSE had tried but unsuccessfully. "Schools have reopened and we just want the government to expedite certain matters. The MLAs are closer to the government than we are," he said.