Manickchand scolds Govt over its “inaccessibility”
PPP/C MP and former Education Minister Priya Manickchand
Government has come in for some harsh flogging by People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP) Priya Manickchand who last Thursday criticised it for backpedalling on its promise of inclusive governance and its continued “inaccessibility”.
Her criticism came in light of the recent revelation regarding the change of format of the examination paper for students scheduled to sit the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) this month-end. The former Education Minister has concerns with the students now having to write their names on the exam paper, and also condemned Government for not reaching out to the people and members of the Opposition.
“This is the same Government which said that it was going to be inclusive in its governance. Never told, never asked as a parent, as a person who has been in that seat for a couple of years, as a citizen, as a Member of Parliament and the Opposition’s representative to say on particular issues,” she complained, noting that her stint at the Education Ministry was very much different to what is taking place now.
“We were always accessible. We could have been reached. Ask us questions on social media, meet us in the market, call us, etc. This Government is running this country out of their offices and comfort of the homes of their supporters. This is not happening the way it should be happening. The Government has dozens of Ministers and advisers, but is not touching people. They are going by planes, because they are travelling frequently,” she told Journalists.
According to her, when she was Education Minister, she would meet with the Shadow Ministers of both the then Opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) at her invitation.
“We never announced anything big under my watch in the newspapers. They were told about it first and had an input in it,” she said.
Manickchand reminded that when a decision was made to change the age of entry into nursery school and begin the distribution of the cash grant, Shadow Ministers were first informed.
She said since she left the office, she has never been invited to the Ministry as the now Shadow Minister of Education to have any discussion on any matter.
The former Education Minister said this was among the many reasons the Opposition would not be participating in the education Commission of Inquiry (CoI).
“There is no consistent engagement with the people who have standing in the country. While we represent the whole country, if you are talking specifically to the number of votes, then that is something different,” Manickchand said, continuing that good governance requires that all be involved and Government makes itself accessible. Changes, she said, should not be made without proper public consultation.
She added that women of the PPP were not even invited to any of the Women Affairs programme.
“It’s like the PPP does not have women or none of the PPP women have never contributed to the development of women in this country,” Manickchand stated.
