TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar sought to diffuse the controversy regarding the ‘resignation’ of the North Goa MP, Shripad Naik from the sports committee of the Lusofonia Games by saying that Naik had expressed his ‘inability’ to continue but had not resigned and had even offered his full cooperation to the organization of the game.
“I know that I have his full co-operation,” he said, informing that he had received the letter expressing his “inability” to function just Tuesday.
“When I spoke to him he said that he does not want the chairmanship, but he would be there,” he said speculating that due to the sickness of the sports secretary, Keshav Chandra (for one-and-a half months) some sort of confusion could have resulted.
Parrikar however, argued that the advisors that were thought to have precipitated the controversy were appointed by the Central government after they were selected by the secretary general J Singh who was appointed after the Commonwealth Games and their names were cleared by the Sports Ministry. “We had only asked for a person, we had not asked for any particular person,” he said.
“Most importantly, they are only in an advisory capacity,” the chief minister argued.
It may be recalled that Shripad, who is the vice-chairman of the Organising Committee of the Games, and continues in the post, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar was reportedly livid that a meeting of the sub-committee fixed on January 25 was postponed at the last minute by SAG’s Executive Director Elvis Gomes on the pretext that sports secretary Keshav Chandra was sick.
Sources say that it was at the meeting held on Friday last under the chairmanship or Parrikar that Shripad felt cold-shouldered since R Sacheti and V Saxena of the Commonwealth Games fame were appointed as advisors and attended the meeting.
