PANJIM: Nine months after going on an unofficial week-long jaunt to witness the football World Cup in Brazil, in June last year, Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado, Aldona legislator Glenn Ticlo, Vasco legislator Carlos Almeida and Velim legislator Benjamin Silva, are still to pay their dues to the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) despite four reminders. The exasperated SAG, which paid for the trip, has now written to Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar for necessary directions, as the legislators themselves appear unrepentant.
When questioned by Herald about the repayment of public money, as part of its duty to the public, Ticlo shot back rudely. “Which department are you talking about? Is Herald interested in paying my amount? They are free to do so. The matter is with the government. I will reply to government whatever I have to say. I do not like to tell you,” Ticlo said.
Almeida was more discreet and said that he has written to SAG seeking more time to pay the balance amounting to over Rs 10 lakh.
The first reminder for the repayment of amount was sent to the ruling MLAs in mid-July within the 45 days deadline. This was followed by a second notice on October 21. A third notice was sent on November 3 while the fourth and final notice was sent to them on February 4.
As the MLAs failed to reply to the fourth notice, the SAG on February 19 wrote to the chief minister via the sports secretary and Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar for further directions in the matter. A copy of the letter was also attached to the SAG chairman, who is the chief minister himself.
“We have sent the entire file to the government, asking for directions in the matter as to what can be done to recover the money,” a senior official said.
Furtado, Ticlo, Almeida and Silva had flown to Brazil in June for a week-long tour. They were supposed to be accompanied by the sports minister and Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, both of whom opted out of the official Rs 89 lakh tour following public and media outrage at wastage of public money.
Due to the controversy, the BJP-government, to save face was forced to convert the tour into an unofficial one, where all four legislators would have to reimburse the amount spent on the entire tour. SAG had already made the Rs 89 lakh payment to the travel agents
Furtado, who paid Rs 3 lakh to the SAG, has to pay the balance Rs 11.10 lakh. The other three MLAs have paid Rs 2 lakh each and owe the SAG Rs 12,09,861 each.
