Team Herald
PANJIM: The Congress and Citizens For Democracy on Saturday opposed leasing of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee multipurpose indoor stadium to a private party.
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The Congress alleged that the BJP government had once again exposed its anti-people and corrupt governance by deciding to lease out the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium. This reckless decision is not only a betrayal of public trust but also a clear indication that the BJP is willing to sell Goa piece by piece for its selfish gains.
The stadium, named after the founder of RSS’s Jana Sangh, was built with public money for the promotion of sports and the development of Goan athletes. Instead of utilising it for the welfare of sportspersons, the Sawant-led government is handing it over to private entities which is against the spirit of sports. This move raises serious concerns about the BJP’s intentions – if they can lease out a stadium named after their ideological founder, what stops them from selling Goa’s land, heritage, and natural resources to crony capitalists? Asked Congress leaders.
The protestors said that it was anti-Goan decision and demanded immediate rollback. “We will not allow the BJP to continue looting Goa. We call upon all Goans to unite and resist this systematic destruction of our State,” they said.
On the other hand, Citizens For Democracy convenor and former bureaucrat Elvis Gomes claimed that the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee indoor stadium was located on the Goa University land and it cannot be leased without permission of the executive council of the University.
“The State government is on a gifting spree to the private sector,” said Elvis and said that he had written to the Goa University stating that under no circumstances the Varsity should allow privatisation of the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee indoor stadium at Bambolim. He also claimed that he was responsible for the construction of this stadium and also recalled that in the past BJP had opposed privatisation and PPP model.
