VASCO: The Opposition Congress party has raised concerns about possible corruption in the management and advertising expenditure related to the National Games being hosted in Goa.
Congress has called for an official inquiry and audit to investigate the expenses incurred for the event. Speaking to reporters, Congress leaders pointed out discrepancies in the advertising material, pointing out that two different signboards were used, one indicating that over 8,000 athletes were participating, and the other suggesting over 10,000 athletes were taking part in the event.
Congress representatives expressed dismay that the billboards and hoardings for the National Games prominently featured photographs of State and Union Sports Ministers, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while relegating the mention of the National Games to a small corner. They raised concerns about the apparent priority of promoting political leaders over the actual sporting event.
Congress questioned who would be responsible for the expenses related to these extra 2,000 athletes and whether this money might be subject to corruption. They revealed that the billboards and hoardings were contracted to a Gujarat-based advertising company, with the government spending around Rs six crore for the advertising agency and roughly Rs 10 crore on various advertising companies for hoarding sites.
The total expenditure related to advertising is estimated at around Rs 18 crore. Congress leaders also mentioned an incident where an arch of a stadium in Navelim had collapsed, injuring a police officer. They see this as a classic example of corruption and warned the government that he would expose any wrongdoing.
