14/07/2014 …. Exclusive : While it was a great ending for the 2014 football fifa world cup in brazil on last Monday night, it could not be the same happy ending for the four goan politicians which includes mla’s and a minister who had gone to the samba country to watch some of the world cup matches as the state government had put up a whooping bill of 15 lakhs each on all the four mla’s for the ten day tour…
It may be that recently the state government had decided to call off the 89 lakhs rupees controversial junket tour to brazil where in some of the minister’s and mla’s of the present bjp led government were to travel to brazil to watch some of the fifa football world cup matches after which one of the cabinet minister avertano furtado along with three of the mla’s namely Benjamin silva, carlos almeida and glen ticlo decided to travel on their own expense to brazil
Surprisingly money for the ten day tour which also included stay, travelling two matches of quarter final and semifinal round were instantly paid through the department of sports authority of goa and the state government had assured to recover the concerned amount from all the four politicians …
Though even another ruling party legislator Michael Lobo from calangute constituency was a part of the original tour later decided to go to Brazil while Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar had opted out of the junket tour facing public criticism that state funds were being blown away on a junket tour .
Speaking to goanreporter fisheries minister avertano furtado said that since the tour was decided one month before they had told the sag department to book their tickets and then they would repay it and that’s the reason sag had paid the tour expenses first and would be paid by the end of this month
Furtado stated that all the four mla themselves had decided to go on their expenses and has also informed chief minister of their desire to go on their own cost and the experience of world cup was a different feeling for him and his colleagues
Furtado also stated that they had seen a lot of things which could be done in the state like managing of crowds along with infrastructure such as an international stadium
