Panaji: Six MLAs from Goa have been granted funds by the state government to travel to Brazil for the Football World Cup. The delegation includes Goa Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar, according to sources in the Goa Chief Minister’s Office.
Sources say that no expert or member of the Sport Authority of Goa is part of the delegation. Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar refused to comment on the junket even as the Congress alleged that the state government is spending Rs 89 lakh for the tour.
The Goa Congress has alleged that BJP government in the state is misusing public funds to sanction the trip. However, sources in the Goa government justified the trip saying, it is a ‘study tour’ for politicians. The sources also pointed out that no bureaucrats were being sent. Only politicians who ‘bring the vision’ were going to be apart of the tour.
“Its unfortunate that Goan Govt is wasting hard earned money of public for entertainment of MLAs of Goa,” Shobha Oza said.
The delegation will watch the first and second quarterfinal clash at the historic Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on July 4 and Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza on July 5, besides sampling the thrill that the semifinals will provide on July 8 and July 9 at Estadio Mineirao (Belo Horizonte) and Arena Corinthians (Sao Paulo) respectively.
