Sports city issue sees unsporting behaviour
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, MARCH 27
The actual work on the proposed sports city at Dhargalim is yet to begin, but the issue continued to rock the Goa assembly.
The house on Saturday witnessed how the issue led to pandemonium with Sports Minister Babu Azgaonkar taking on opposition members of the legislative assembly in an “unparliamentary manner” as they continued picking holes in its plan to have sports city in Dhargalim.
There was so much pandemonium, as questions came to be raised, that Speaker Pratapsing Rane had to repeatedly warn the sports minister to mind his language or else he would be thrown out of the house.
Former finance minister and Aldona legislator Dayanand Narvekar too intervened stating legislators should not use unparliamentary language in the house when the whole of Goa is watching them live on TV. Nevertheless, Azgaonkar, who was perturbed by criticism from Mandrem legislator Laxmikant Parsekar who had tabled the question pertaining to the sports city, continued his tirade against the opposition claiming that they are here only to criticise while he is trying to bring some development in his constituency ( Dhargalim) which has remained backward.
Parsekar had sought to know why government was acquiring 2 lakh square meters of land in Mandrem. The land is being acquired to build a resort to accommodate players and officers for Asian Games 2011 which are scheduled to held in Goa.
Parsekar said, they can be accommodated at any five star hotel in Bardez . “It is injustice to locals who will not benefit in anyway by the resort as government intends to have it built through public private partnership mode, “ he said alleging that it is a “land scam.”
Replying to the allegation , the minister pointed out that he also intends to develop Mandrem and a final decision has not been taken and all will be taken into consideration.
At which point, opposition leader Manohar Parrikar as well as Parsekar pointed out the minister has not bothered to take any of the two MLAs (Mandrem and Pernem) into confidence before proceeding with acquisition of land in Mandrem.
Parrikar also questioned the minister about the convention centre which has been planned as part of the sports city. “I cannot understand the connection between sports city and the convention centre,” Parrikar said further posing a query if the plan to have a convention centre at Taleigao has been dropped?
Mandrem MLA Dayanand Sopte also complained that the sports minister had not taken him into confidence nor had he called him for any of the meetings.
Intervening at this point, Chief Minister said “In view of the apprehensions raised by the opposition, a site inspection was conducted. I personally went to the site, and decided to drop the area having plantations.” While initially, 18 lakh square meters of land was proposed to be acquired, it was drastically dropped to 9 lakh square meters and at least now there should be consensus on the issue, he said trying to silence the opposition.
Parrikar said they are not opposed to the sports city, but nobody was taken into confidence. Leave about taking into confidence the MLAs, he harasses anyone who comes in his way, Parrikar stated on the floor of the house.
The house should have fallen silent after the chief minister’s intervening reply but the agitated sports minister continue to take on the opposition levelling charges, saying that he has been criticized unnecessarily even as the Speaker repeatedly asked him to sit down. But Azgaonkar continued his speech criticising the opposition in the loudest pitch even as his colleagues were seen signaling him to sit down.
“You are behaving in a most ridiculous manner, “ the Speaker said asking the minister not to use uncultured language in the house or else he will ask the marshal to throw him out of the house.
