A baseball ground sanctioned at Campal for the 37th National Games for which Rs 2.68 crore was disbursed (out of the project cost of Rs 3.2 crore) by the Sports Authority of Goa is shrouded in mystery. Additionally, another part payment of Rs 3.91 out of the sanctioned Rs 6.94 lakh was paid to a consultant for providing technical consultancy services for the construction of the ground. Surprisingly, there is no sign of the ground or the money.
The plan was to have a fully-equipped baseball ground at Campal with seating arrangements for spectators, a digital scoreboard and other allied facilities. As per the reply to an unstarred question by Margao MLA Digambar Kamat in the monsoon session of last year’s Legislative Assembly session, the status shown on record is “project completed”.
This brings us to the primary question: Where is the accountability of public money? Who is responsible for this mismanagement? And where has the money gone?
The current sports minister has stated that the development happened before he took charge and that he would order an inquiry into the issue. The case certainly calls for a probe, but the paramount question is about the minister’s reply in the House that the project has been completed when the project is nowhere in sight. The National Games happened during the tenure of Gaude, and by the simple reasoning of him being at the helm, he had every right to reconcile, scrutinize and fix responsibility. If the area was put to alternate use, or shifted, why was it not mentioned in the reply?
Manohar Babu Ajgaonkar, who was Gaude’s predecessor, maintains that “if there are lapses, appropriate action should be taken”, adding that work on the ground had started during his tenure. Ajgaonkar must explain to what extent the work was undertaken, and where. Ajgaonkar also needs to explain the reasoning behind paying a lumpsum amount to the contractor in contravention of the usual practices.
In the normal course, the trail of funds or project sanctions are clearly defined. The Finance Department, after getting the necessary clearances, routes the money to the Directorate of Sports from where it is channelled to the Sports Authority of Goa, who subsequently pays the contractor. There are multiple checks and approvals needed by respective officials at various stages, including the executive director, treasurer and sports minister. More importantly, the amount for projects is disbursed in phases based on the stage of completion. This appears to be a “pay it, and forget it” case with no supervisory controls over the works.
The development is not only about mismanagement of sports finances but exposes the lip service that the State is paying to sports, especially baseball, a discipline where Goa has been winning several medals over the years and having its players picked for the national team. It is sad that players are denied an opportunity to train professionally, leaving them with no option but to continue practising at make-shift open spaces.
Against the backdrop of an encouraging performance at the National Games in 2023 where 28 out of the 92 medals for Goa were won by locals, and where the government patted athletes on the back with cash awards and promises of jobs, such embezzlement of funds cuts out a sorry picture for sports.
