Herald had recently reported that GIDC allotted 150 acres of land at Naqueri-Quepem to the Defence Ministry on permanent basis for
organizing Defence Expo and Aero India shows.
Around 38.4 sq kms of GIDC land is locked in the High Court due to litigation in the SEZ case, while lakhs of sq mts of GIDC land in industrial estates lay unused due to the failed industrial and investment policies of successive State governments.
“This new scheme of hosting an Aero Show and Defence Expo will deplete Goa’s existing land resources even more. The State does not have adequate land to set up educational hubs, medical hubs, tourism infrastructure and IT industries thanks to the corruption and mismanagement of land by GIDC officials. This new idea seems like yet another of this government’s Ponzi schemes,” said UGF president Dr Aashish Kamat.
UGF questioned the wisdom of having another airport in Goa when the State was already questioning the need for the airport in Mopa. It may be noted that the existing Aero Shows are held at Yelahanka Air Base, Karnataka, which has a three-kilometre runway.
“Is the DM going to build another three-kilometre runway in the State along with related infrastructure? Wouldn’t that mean having two military bases, one in Dabolim and another at Naqueri?” asked Dr Kamat.
UGF also pointed out that Quitol-Quepem was considered along with Mopa as a possible site for Goa’ second airport in 2005 and it was even considered a forerunner until the second meeting of the High-Level Committee on January 11, 1998. At the meeting, Sub-Committee member and AAI’s Chief Architect Inderjeet Singh revealed that many bauxite mining activities in and around Quitol had increased considerably since 1996. UGF wanted to know how this site had become eligible for the Aero India show.
“If this site is safe for the Aero India show, it should be safe enough to get a new airport instead of Mopa, or it could become an ideal site for relocation of the naval base at Dabolim,” said Dr Kamat.
UGF also sought to remind Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar that he was willing to barter Mopa land for Dabolim airport with the navy in May 2013. It said that since he is the Defence Minister of India, he had the power set up a permanent naval air base at Quitol-Naqueri.
“Considering that he finds Quitol-Naqueri a suitable location to construct the infrastructure needed for the Aero Show and Defence Expo, he should also shift the navy air base from Dabolim to Quitol. The site can thus be utilised throughout the year and not just during those events,” said UGF in a statement issued on Saturday.
UGF also warned the government that it would not allow Naqueri-Quitol to become another Ravindra Bhavan and Lusofonia Games-like white elephant to siphon money from the State exchequer. It added that Goans could not afford land to build their own homes and many Goan youth were leaving their land for better prospects. It said the government had no right to part with their land for the Def Expo and Aero India shows, which have no real impact with regards to Goa’s security, economy and social conditions.
Meanwhile, Goans for Goa (GFG) also condemned the government’s move to allocate prime Goan land to the DM. GFG president Kennedy Afonso said, “GFG condemns the GIDC’s move to usurp prime Goan land for such useless purposes. It will contribute nothing to the economy of the region. GIDC has been struggling to find land for industrial investment and IT projects, but it did not hesitate to part with this land for air exhibitions and expos, which will be held once a year, rendering the land useless for the rest of the year.”
“GFG demands to know in what way these air expos will contribute to the long-term economy of Goa, and how it will help in generating employment for Goans,” said GFG treasurer Prashant Naik.
Afonso questioned if it will be just another white elephant on the lines of IFFI, which did not benefit Goans in any way. He urged Goans to oppose the move to grab more land under the garb of defence requirements.
Incidentally, Parrikar had earlier stated on record that the DM was the main guzzler of land in Goa. However, he did not hesitate to sell some more of it.
