Shillong, March 16 : Nongthymmai MLA Jemino Mawthoh on Wednesday questioned the State government for spending Rs 90 lakh during the Chief Minister’s Open Golf Tournament held in the city in 2014.
Moving a cut motion in the Assembly on Wednesday, Mawthoh said the prize money in the tournament was Rs 40 lakh, besides additional Rs 50 lakh was also spent on the tournament from the Chief Minister’s Youth Development Scheme. Stating that sports lovers in the State on many occasions do not get assistance from the State government for sporting activities, Mawthoh lamented that the MLAs are provided with a paltry amount of Rs 2.5 lakh in a year for implementing various sporting activities in their respective constituencies.
In reply, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Zenith Sangma said the tournament was organised with the objective of promoting golf tourism in and it has helped in generating interest among golf aficionados from across the country. “Shillong Golf Course is the biggest natural golf course in Asia but it is yet to be discovered by golfers and the tournament gave a lot of publicity and exposure to Shillong,” he said.