Team Herald
MARGAO: The anti-Defexpo camp has criticized Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar for allegedly threatening to file an FIR against them for objecting to the Defexpo and Aero India projects in Betul-Naqueri.
“He also mentioned that we should study the project before protesting. The residents of Naqueri-Betul and surrounding villages are asking the CM to please let them know how to study the project when everything has been kept under wraps. No official or politician has clarified or come clean on the project to the panchayat, local MLA or the people at large,” said Freddy Fernandes, spokesperson of Orixtt Porjecho Awaz.
He claimed that as per an RTI, the Defence Minister had asked for 150 acres of land near the coast, on which a 10,000 ft runway would be built. He added, “How can airport infrastructure be temporary and why does Goa need three airports in such close proximity?”
“Can the CM tell us, if the project is temporary, why does the Defence Minister require a runway along the coast? What has the DefExpo got to do with the coast? Was there a coast near the Pragati Maidan? To study the project, we need a project report, which has not been provided. Even an Environmental Impact Assessment study, Social Impact Assessment and feasibility study has not been done. There are laws that have to be followed for any project and here
no procedures have been
followed whatsoever,” said
Fernandes.
The villagers have stated that it is their constitutional right to know the details of the project and to protest peacefully against unwanted projects. They also questioned how the government could force the project on them when the panchayats of Naqueri-Betul, Ambelim, Assolna, Velim, Morpilla, Loutolim and Khola had passed resolutions against it.
“We will fight to the end, and in the process, if there is a law and order situation or bad international publicity, the Goa government will be solely responsibility for it. Instead of threatening the people with an FIR, the Chief Minister should follow basic guidelines and procedures by involving the MLA, panchayat and the people at large in the decision-making of such projects,” said Fernandes.
