Monserrate should quit as Eduction Minister: Utt Goenkara

Panaji, Sep 2 (UNI) Local social organisation, Utt Goenkara, today demanded that Atanasio Monserrate immediately resign as Goa's Education minister for having filed a false affidavit that he had passed his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination even though he had not even passed the Standard 8th.

Utt Goenkara spokesman Aires Rodrigues, speaking to mediapersons here, said Mr Monseratte, who was recently inducted into the cabinet, in his nomination paper during the last assembly elections had stated that he had passed SSC from St Theresa's High School, Bandra. But, according to the letter received from Headmaster of the school, copies of which were circulated among the mediapersons, revealed that Mr Monserrate had left school halfway while he was in the Class 8th. The letter further stated that Mr Monserrate was admitted to St Theresa School on June 19, 1975, in Standard 6th and left the school on September 7, 1978, while in Standard 8th.

Mr Rodrigues said after this, Mr Monserrate had lost all moral authority to continue as minister, more so as the Education minister, of Goa.

He said Chief Minister Digamber Kamat should take cognizance that Mr Monserrate had committed a very serious criminal offence by filing a false and misleading affidavit.

He said propriety demanded that Mr Kamat should uphold the respect and dignity of the Goans by outrightly stripping Mr Monserrate of the very important portfolio.

Mr Rodrigues wondered how can the official website of the Goa government shamelessly stated that the Education Minister was a second year Bachelor of Arts and demanded punitive action against the officers for putting up wrong information on the website.

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