MAPUSA
Smelling a scam in the name of National Games, the Opposition on Thursday took the government to task on duplication of works on various sports infra in the State.
Speaking during the Question Hour, Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said works which were earlier carried out to set up sports infrastructure in the State were again taken up for the 37th National Games.
Backing his claim, Sardesai said the government has tendered work of Rs 35 lakh to install a membrane for the swimming pool at Campal which was repaired and inaugurated at a cost of Rs 12.17 crore just nine months ago.
He further pointed out that the department has tendered works for repair and maintenance of the pool complex for National Games on June 9 at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore.
“When it is raining what membrane are they going to change? The swimming pool has become a Taj Mahal,” Sardesai said.
Similarly, he said the sports department was taking up work to refurbish the synthetic track in Peddem, Mapusa at a cost of Rs 7.82 crore when the entire ground with synthetic track was set up in 2014 for just Rs 5.93 crore.
“The government is spending money to create infra for National Games but Peddem is not even included in the National Games,” he said.
Further, he said the Bambolim stadium which was repaired and painted for the FIFA Youth World Cup was again taken up for repairs at a cost of Rs 10 crore.
“The 37th National Games will be the next Commonwealth Games scam. The sports department is carrying out works which were done not even a year back. This is nothing but a criminal waste of public money which needs to be probed thoroughly,” Sardesai said.
Reacting to the Opposition charge, Sports Minister Govind Gaude said the MLA was trying to misguide the House.
“We have not tendered work of swimming pool that is repaired. The diving pool which was never touched has been tendered and that work is going on,” Gaude defended.
Earlier raising the issue of crores of public monies being spent on consultants, Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira requested the government to refrain from appointing consultants for each and every work and instead to spend the money on development work.
“Please avoid appointing consultants for every little work. Consultants could be appointed only for big projects which need elaborate planning. The department engineers could take up other work,” Ferreira said.
The Sports Minister informed that no consultants were appointed for the infrastructure works.
“We have appointed consultants only for special projects and those involving creative works,” Gaude said.
