Panaji: Almost a month after Indian Olympics Association (IOA) imposed a penalty of Rs 10 crore on Goa for often postponing the dates for hosting the National Games, Aam Admi Party (AAP) on Tuesday petitioned State Chief Secretary Parimal Rai demanding that those who are responsible for the lapses resulting in postponment should pay the entire amount of money.
AAP Goa General Secretary Siddharth Karapurkar, in a letter written to the Chief Secretary, has said that the State Exchequer should not be burdened with the penalty, which is should to be paid by those who are responsible for the lapses in creating the infrastructure for the Games.
The IOA, last month, had imposed a penalty of Rs 10 crore on Goa for repeatedly missing the deadline for hosting the 36th National Games.
IOA-appointed Chairman of Games Technical Conduct Committee Mukesh Kumar had said that Goa has to give a penalty of Rs. 10 crore for delaying the Games three times. “If Goa does not pay the penalty amount and organise the Games in 2019, then IOA may cancel it,” he had cautioned.
Taking up the issue, AAP, in its letter to the CS on Tuesday said that the penalty exposes sheer incompetence of the administration headed by him (CS).
“The tax payers are entitled to demand accountability for the expenditure made to take care of the salaries, perks, facilities of your administration which has become a dysfunctional or totally non functional,” Karapurkar said in the letter.
“It is demanded that those responsible for the lapses be made to pay the entire amounts of penalties imposed without placing any additional burden on the public exchequer,” he added.
The Chief Secretary cannot be reached for the comment but official from State Sports Department said that Goa is getting readied to host the games this year with infrastructure being put in pace on war-footing.
