Panaji, Aug 22 (IANS): Members of a self-appointed 'shadow council' which keeps tabs on the affairs of the Margao Municipal Council in South Goa, embarked on a "begging drive" to collect funds for felicitation of Class 10 students by city fathers.

Speaking to IANS on Thursday, Savio Coutinho, a former chairperson of the Council and head of the shadow council said, that begging drive was carried out because the municipal authorities had failed to conduct annual felicitation of meritorious Class 10 students.

"We collected Rs 153 during our begging drive and handed it to the chairperson of the Council with a request to contribute the money towards the felicitation function expenses," Coutinho said.

Margao town, the headquarters of the South Goa district, has 21 schools in its jurisdiction and a Class X top ranker from each of the schools was annually felicitated by municipal authorities, a practice which has been disbanded by the current dispensation at the Council for the last three years.

"One meritorious student from each of the 21 schools was given Rs 1,000 as a token of appreciation from the municipality's coffers. This was meant to encourage the students, but the municipality has failed to continue this honourable practice," Coutinho said, whose shadow council team publicly begged for alms for contribution to the felicitation event.

Tito Cardozo, who heads the Council when contacted, admitted that the municipality officials had slipped up vis a vis hosting the event this year. "We will hold the felicitation function soon," Cardozo said.