the goan I network
PANAJI
Churchill Brothers Sports Club owned and run by Benaulim NCP legislator Churchill Alemao, is the sole football club among half-a-dozen Goan soccer outfits to have taken benefit of the scheme floated by the government to provide up to Rs 3-crore to a maximum of three clubs per year.
A total of Rs 6-crore has been paid to the Club in the two consecutive years of 2017-18 and 2018-19, a written reply by Deputy Chief Minister Manohar (Babu) Ajgaonkar, who is also the Sports Minister, said.
Churchill Brothers were disbursed three installments of Rs one-crore on March 7, April 27 and June 20 by SAG in 2018. Three separate applications were made by the Club for these grants but filed on the same day - December 5, 2017.
For the year 2018-19, again the Alemao-owned club was disbursed another Rs 3-crore in three equal installments of Rs one-crore on March 15, May 13 and June 17 this year.
The scheme was notified by the State government in February 2018 for providing financial assistance to Football Clubs from Goa qualified in professional leagues/tournaments hosted and recognised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and aimed at helping leading football clubs to sustain financially.
Although the scheme stipulates that a maximum of three clubs would be eligible in each financial year, thus far Churchill Bros is the only club that has availed the scheme.
