CIRCUS IN THE GOA ASSEMBLY: MLAs COME TO BLOWS

PANJIM: The morning session of the state legislative assembly, on Monday, witnessed a bedlam after the Minister for Sports, Mr Manohar Azgaonkar, repeatedly alleged that the leader of the opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar has swindled money in the city Inox Multiplex project, while Mr Parrikar demanded that either Mr Azgaonkar should apologise to him or the Speaker, Mr Pratapsing Rane direct the Sports Minister to withdraw from the House for his un-Parliamentary conduct.

“Unless one of my demands is met, the opposition will not allow the budget session of the state legislative assembly to function,” Mr Parrikar warned.  Subsequently, the Speaker adjourned the House until afternoon.

The incident occurred during the Question Hour, when instead of replying to the questions from the opposition MLAs as regards ‘uncalled and unwarranted’ spending on the National Games proposed to be held in Goa in 2014, the Sports Minister gave vague replies, and then repeatedly charged the leader of the opposition for his involvement in the Inox Multiplex scam.

The Speaker expunged the related statements of the Minister for Sports on one occasion. However, unable to stand repeated allegations, the leader of the opposition went to the Well of the House for expressing his displeasure.  The Sports Minister soon followed the leader of the opposition to the Well of the House.

On the other hand, few BJP MLAs also reached there and came to blows with the Minister for Sports as well as the Marshals of the House.

Eventually, the Chief Minister, Mr Digambar Kamat, Minister for Public Works Department, Mr Churchill Alemao and the Power Minister, Mr Aleixo Sequeira intervened in the scuffle and managed to calm down both parties.

Earlier, the opposition BJP grilled the Minister for Sports over his decision to go for construction of starred and budget hotels at Arambol on public-private partnership basis, with an estimated cost of ` 500 crore, instead of concentrating on the provision of sports infrastructure for the National Games 2014.

The leader of the opposition further stated that as the city MLA, he would resist the plans of the Minister for Sports to construct sports bars, health clubs, food courts and starred hotels in the Campal area, noting that there are 23 hotels around the 500 mts area of Campal, and any additional constructions would severely affect the traffic and parking in the locality.

Intervening in the matter, the Chief Minister stated that all the projects mentioned by the opposition BJP are neither approved nor decided by his government.  “A number of National Games related projects have been short-listed at various places, and PPP model would be accepted to support the infrastructure of the mega sports event, if necessary,” he observed, informing that the state government would attend the meeting of the Planning Commission in April 2011, and would know about the exact fund allocation for Goa, for these games.

The Chief Minister also informed that the procedure to select technical consultants for the sports infrastructure projects has reached final stage and the related tendering process would soon follow.  “We would be however, giving priority to the upgradation of existing sports facilities,” he added.

The Sports Minister, on the other hand informed that 35 sports events related to National Games would take place in 13 centres, out of which a hall for the Sepak Takraw event is being readied at Quepem centre. Speaking further, Mr Azgaonkar mentioned that seven venues are being readied at the Dhargal centre for games like athletics, hockey, equestrian, rifle shooting, kho-kho, archery and baseball.

“The remaining 11 centres are at Pernem, Colvale, Peddem-Mapusa, Nerul, Campal, Caranzalem, Goa University, Fatorda, Margao, Shiroda and Ponda,” he noted.

The leader of the opposition pointed out that out of the ` 222 crore proposed fund from the central government for the National Games 2014, an amount of ` 75 crore – ` 40 crore during the year 2009-10 and ` 35 crore during the year 2010-11 – has been sanctioned. “However, from this amount, the government is in possession of only ` 12 crore,” he pointed out, further stating that the recently presented state budget has provision of only ` 8 crore for sports.

The Canacona MLA, Mr Vijay Pai Khot informed that the Minister for Sports has not evenly distributed the centres for the National Games 2014, and has made injustice on some talukas.

Later, addressing a press conference, Mr Parrikar pointed out that the budgeted figure for National Games 2014 is ` 1,629 crore, of which ` 458 crore is actually linked to sports activities.

He further stated that there is an attempt from the Minister for Sports to attach appendage to the national Games with artificially created PPP projects.  “I challenge Mr Azgaonkar to prove his allegations against me, and if the allegations are proven right, I will resign from the public life,” he concluded.