PANAJI
Former bureaucrat and Congress leader Elvis Gomes has criticised the government’s decision to lease the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium to a private party, calling it “malicious.”
Gomes, who led the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) when the stadium was built on Goa University land, questioned the deal’s legitimacy. He said the land was never formally transferred to the State government, though an informal agreement was reached.
The stadium was meant to operate on a revenue-sharing basis with Goa University, but there is no clarity on whether the varsity will receive its share.
Gomes said he had written to and met the Goa University vice-chancellor in 2021 to oppose privatisation when SAG first proposed it.
