Goa Cabinet nod to Prohibition of Ragging bill

Panaji, Sep 13( UNI) The Goa Cabinet today approved the Goa Prohibition of Ragging Bill 2007 in educational institutions.

Chief Minister Digamber Kamat, speaking to media persons after the Cabinet meeting, said a private bill had been introduced by former MLA Jitendra Desh Prabhu.

Ragging is a social evil which is detrimental to the educational development of the state. Such activities remain unnoticed due to the lack of complaints by the juniors and newly-admitted students.

Some students unfortunately are manhandled, leading to severe depression that the victims even discontinue their studies and, at times, even end their lives, the Chief Minister said.

There is a persistent demand from all quarters of society that the government should take immediate steps to prohibit ragging in the educational institutions, Mr Kamat said.

Mr Kamat also informed that the state government has decided to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), New Delhi, for preservation, renovation, and conservation of heritage structures and monuments. Government has made a provision of Rs 20 crore for maintenance of such structures in the current financial year.

The government has also decided to provide sufficient rice, wheat and sugar to fair price shops in Goa to meet the needs of ration card holders.

UNI