11 Aug 2023  |   07:04am IST

Only 32 Goan students trained at Goa Khelo India Centre: Gaude

Seventy per cent of students were from other States; Opposition grills govt over alleged irregularities reported at Centre in Panjim

Team Herald

PORVORIM: Sports Minister Govind Gaude revealed on Thursday that among the 73 students currently undergoing diverse sports training at the Khelo India Centre of Excellence in Campal, Panjim, a significant 70 percent are from states other than Goa. The remaining 32 students are local residents.

Responding to a starred question jointly presented by MLAs Carlos Alvares Ferreira and Vijai Sardesai, Minister Gaude noted a reluctance among Goan students to utilise the training facilities. Even when they do enroll, a common trend is for them to discontinue the training midway.

The Opposition members criticised the government for various irregularities observed at the Centre. These include the appointment of 16 staff members from the Sports Minister’s Priol constituency without adhering to proper codal formalities. 

Additionally, they questioned the allocation of a catering contract at an elevated cost of Rs 1,500 per day per trainee. In response, the Minister acknowledged that the catering contract is being retendered due to exorbitant pricing by the previous contractors. Sardesai raised suspicions of impropriety surrounding both the staff appointments and the catering contract. He called for a vigilance investigation into the matter, suggesting the potential for a scam in these dealings.