The DefExpo and the Aero Show, the big ticket events of the Ministry of Defence weren’t really going to be prevented because of local protests by what was called “a handful of villagers”. It didn’t even need the full might of the armed forces. All it needed was a pliant State government to crawl and genuflect at the altar of India’s Goan Defence Minister.
The argument on which this DefExpo and Aero show has been brought to Goa, that employment will be generated, hotel rooms will be full and taxis will get businesses is too vague an argument, and that too untested, to base such a decision on. We must not lose sight of the fact that the GIDC and by extension the State government, has deviated from its charter of land allotment to allot land for this purpose. The question on who is the custodian of this land hasn’t been answered. Even if the Defence Minister and the Chief Minister argue that the DefExpo will take place once in two years, the land cannot be allotted for any other activity only to be taken back for four days every two years. Thus the 6 lakh square meters of land is well and truly blocked.
A letter written by the GIDC Managing Director to the Department of Defence procurement merely states that the “GIDC should be compensated” for the land of 6,00,000 square meters as well as the infrastructure being provided by the State government. The loose manner of addressing the most crucial aspect of revenue generation from the project is a clear indication that the State’s interests have been totally compromised. If the State (GIDC) is the owner of the land and the Ministry of Defence is the tenant, the landlord should clearly state what the compensation amount should be and not leave it to the tenant to decide how much rent it should pay. The GIDC has clearly acted against Goa’s interests and bowed down to the Defence Minister’s interest.
It’s a matter of utmost shame that the GIDC could not even put a price to its precious land. The GIDC should enlighten the people of Goa, whether it has displayed the same magnanimity towards any other parcel of land owned by it. Has any other occupier of GIDC’s land had the luxury of deciding how much “rent” or lease” amount it should pay or even pay at all. Work is going in full swing as the land will be now in the possession of the Defence Ministry. The GIDC and the government is silent on the compensation Mr Parrikar’s ministry will pay as rent of the land plus the cost of infrastructure.
The GIDC should further state if it is charging rent only for the four day period of the event or for all the days when the land allotted to them cannot be used for any other purpose. If this is prime land meant to attract investment, the party which forces the land to be blocked because of its once in a two year event, should pay permanent rent.
However, dissent has been quashed by the government, as far as the DefExpo is concerned. The Quepem deputy collector called villagers and elected representatives of Naqueri Betul for peacefully protesting against the high handedness of the government in dealing with the DefExpo episode.
While it has clearly decided to intimidate villagers, it has not sought to protect the interests of Goa’s land and revenue. The Parsekar government has gifted the DefExpo to Mr Manohar Parrikar.
