PANJIM: When the Emirates Flight EK 261 takes off the Dubai International airport at 8.35 am on July 2 For Sao Paulo, Brazil, connecting flight EK 501 from Mumbai which would have landed two hours earlier, row number 32 of the Brazil bound flight, will have a motely group of ‘touristy football lovers’ from Goa. Seated on row 32 A to 32 F in that order will be Glen Ticlo, Benjamin Silva, Milind Naik, Michael Lobo, Avertano Furtado and Carlos Almeida, Honourable MLAs from Goa. All their tickets were issued by Avesta Tours and Travels, Marine Drive Mumbai on June 17, 2014, four days after Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar announced that the state sponsored junket to see the World Cup, by these MLAs was called off and that the MLAs would pay from their own funds.
The MLAs when confronted after their travel itinerary was unearthed by Herald (the booking reference number of all tickets on Emirates Airlines is DBFHIB), on who was paying for their tickets, were initially taken aback, Then two of them, Avertano Furtado and Benjamin Silva said they had received a letter from the Sports Authority of Goa that since the tickets were “already bought” by the government could travel on that booking and accommodation and “reimburse” the government after a period of time. Michael Lobo, who says he was a last minute addition would ask for the bill and pay. But these explanations fly in the face of facts and raise questions.
According to the e tickets of all six MLAs, retrieved from the Emirates web site by Herald, they were issued on June 17. If SAG claims it paid and got the tickets issued, the big ask is why did SAG go ahead and ask the agency to issue the tickets after the Chief Minister had said that the trip would be called off. Goa needs to know who sanctioned the issuance of the tickets at the taxpayers cost, after the trip was officially cancelled.
This brings us to the next question. Was Avesta Tours and Tours and Travels, Marine Drive, Mumbai which issued the tickets, indeed selected by the Sports Authority of Goa or a major corporate with interests in football and past interests in mining? If that is so, then the story takes another turn. That there is an angel sponsor of this trip and that angel sponsor is being shielded by the Government of Goa, which has told the MLAs that it paid for the tickets and sought reimbursement from them.
Since it is clear that none of the six MLAs gave the booking contract to Avesta Tours and Travels, it is important to know who the “client” of Avesta Tours and Travels, 98 Marine Drive Mumbai is. In the unlikely event of it being SAG, the Goa government needs to explain why SAG cleared the issuing of the tickets four days after the Chief Minister said the tour was cancelled. If it is not SAG, but a private party, then why is this private party sponsoring six MLA’s to go to Brazil, under the guise of the Sports Authority of Goa which has told MLA’s that the booking was done by them? Either way, the government is in a spot.
The MLA’s who are packing their bags maintain that they will pay, but not one of them has paid a penny till now since flights and hotel accommodation has all been booked by benefactors. Our boys reach Brazil on July 2 and leave on July 11 for a week long holiday. But the question is, at whose expense?
Herald finds and asks
Herald finds
In the e ticket of MLAs Avesta Tours n Travels, Mumbai is listed as the agency which booked tickets.
Herald asks
Was Avesta Tours and Travels, Mumbai contracted by SAG, Govt of Goa, if so why did SAG ask it to “issue” tickets” for 6 MLAs after the govt had cancelled the trip.
If Avesta Tours and Travels were not contracted by SAG, then who booked the tickets through this agency, to become an angel sponsor, and why does SAG tell MLAs that they booked the tickets,
