Goa football stadium roof unsafe for ISL matches: Congress

The opposition in Goa on Thursday demanded a structural audit of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in South Goa ahead of the upcoming ISL tournament, alleging that a Rs 61 crore stadium repair scam had left the facility, especially its roof, in a precarious condition.

"We demand that the government should immediately conduct a structural audit of the entire stadium and place the report before the public before the commencement of Indian Super League football matches," state Congress chief Girish Chodankar said.

In August this year, dozens of tin sheets covering the roof of spectator stands had blown off in strong gusty monsoon winds, landing on the empty stands as well as on the road leading to the stadium.

The Congress had later alleged a Rs 61 crore stadium repair and maintenance scam blaming state Sports Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar for shoddy repair work. Ajgaonkar has denied the allegations calling them baseless.

Chodankar on Thursday also said, that the shoddy maintenance and poor roof repairs could endanger the lives of spectators at the ISL venue.

"The ISL tournament attracts almost 15 to 18 thousand spectators for the matches and the lives of the football fans has now come under a probable threat due to the recent incidence wherein many tin sheets were blown away due to gusty winds, thus raising questions about the structural stability of the roof," Chodankar said.IANS