Congress demands Goa Sports Minister's resignation for holding financial grants of Rs 2.18 cr

Congress has demanded the resignation of Goa Sports Minister Manohar Babu Ajgaonkar alleging that he has deliberately kept the financial grants of Rs 2.18 crores on hold since 2017 to settle his "Mission 30 per cent Commission".

Addressing a press conference, Goa Pradesh Congress General Secretary Amarnath Panjikar accused that the BJP government led by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant of making fortunes from the "pains of Needy and rewards of deserving sportspersons".

"The data has exposed the tall claims of Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant who talks high on the financial condition of the state and has always remained in celebration mode," he said.

Panjikar claimed that they have documentary evidence to prove that the Sports Department is yet to release an amount of Rs 55.59 lakhs to 16 sports associations from 2017 to 2020 and if the figures of 2021 will be added, it will take the amount higher.

"The documents of the department further reveal that an amount of Rs 16.14 lakhs is pending as prize money to 188 medal winners who participated in various sporting events at the National Level from 2017 to 2019. We will soon obtain the unpaid amount of figures for 2020 and 2021 which will further expose the greed of the corrupt Sports Minister," the Congress leader said.

Congress Spokesperson Swati Shet Kerkar said the government must not "torture" the sportspersons and demanded that all the pending payments should be released immediately.

( With inputs from ANI )