Panaji, Nov 10 (TOI): Goa RakhannManch has warned South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar and Sankhali MLA PramodSawant against condemning the leaders of BhartiyaBhashaSurakshaManch (BBSM) in their protest in the medium of instruction (MoI) issue. The group has reminded the two politicians that they had shared the dais with BBSM members before the BJP's win in the last assembly elections.

The Goa Rakhann Manch members called the BJP elects a 'gang of liars' for 'their own contradictory stand.'

The group's member, Surel Tilve, said that the state government had announced financial assistance to regional language primary schools as part of its MoI policy. "108 applications were received by the department of education from the private education institutes, to start new Konkani/Marathi schools in the state in the period from June 2012 to December 2014. Out of which, the department of education has granted permission to 14 Konkani medium primary schools, 37 Marathi medium primary schools and two Konkani/Marathi schools," Tilve said.

He said that a reply to an RTI application has shown that no financial assistance has been provided to any of these schools as promised. The state government had promised a one-time special grant of 12 lakh to each new regional language primary institute.

As per the information provided by the department of education, the department has received 27 applications for the one-time special grant, but the same is under scrutiny, Tilve said.

He said that it shows that the state government has just paid lip service towards the educational institutes which are running in regional languages.