Wesley Edward Pereira
The Mopa Airport financial consultant was also selected as the Goa Tourism master plan consultant several years ago. The phase-wise draft tourism master plans are kept hidden. Also, there is no proper stakeholder consultation process. Considering the approvals granted by the Investment Promotion Board in recent months to massive hotel projects, it appears that unsustainable development of tourism properties/hotel properties in the tiny State of Goa are being attempted to define the airport bidder selection criteria for the Mopa airport PPP Project. Can the Mopa Airport financial consultant define the airport bidder selection criteria for the Mopa airport PPP Project based on highest share (or present value of) of revenue/Highest upfront payment(or present value of upfront payment) offered by the bidder in projects that involve the development of tourism properties/ hotel properties, etc.?
Several years ago, the massive Curtorim luxury hotel project near the banks of the River Zuari and the equally massive Essel World entertainment water park project (very close to the Rachol Seminary) were rejected by the local communities. Have these projects been scrapped through proper notifications?
Can we allow such unsustainable commercial development projects near the banks of eco-sensitive Rivers all over Goa to promote Mopa Airport? Also, can we permit destruction of our unique eco-sensitive villages all over Goa for multi-modal transportation (road, rail and air/ helicopter) projects to provide connectivity to National inland waterways jetties/terminals on river banks to promote massive hinterland tourism projects under Sagar mala, Bharat mala and other project development initiatives?
The State of Goa is included in the Coastal Economic Zone (CEZ) of South Konkan-Maharashtra under the Sagar mala project. The development of Chapora River (33 kms?),Mapusa/Moide River(27 kms?) and Sal River(14 kms?) have been included along with the rivers of Maharashtra in Cluster-7.This is highlighted in the feasibility report dated April 2016 for the Mapusa/Moide River prepared for the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
Serious attempts will be made to get ‘ex-post facto’ approvals from the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) for the development of the unviable Rs3000 crore PPP Greenfield International airport at Mopa based on phase wise hidden tourism master plans and multi-modal transportation plans.
There are enough man-made disasters in high-tech and metro cities of India due to rapid population growth and unsustainable land development/earthwork plans. There is a need to prevent such disasters . The unwanted tourism/industrial /commercial / transportation projects in Goa should be immediately rejected. Why are the phase wise tourism master plans for phase wise development of Mopa Airport kept hidden?
