Team Herald
QUEPEM: Opposing the proposed Defexpo and Air Show, residents of Betul and Naqueri have demanded that the Betul plateau be used for projects that will generate employment for the locals.
There were strong reactions to the government’s decision to hand over land to the Defence Ministry as the Goa Industries Development Corporation (GIDC), under the erstwhile Congress regime, acquired 8 lakh sq mts of land there on the grounds that the locals would get jobs. The land was acquired for a food park project, which the locals also opposed, as they believed the project should have been for the upliftment of the village.
Locals are now upset that they were not taken into confidence or their views sought for the Expo, which will be held in February 2016.
The Betul-Naqueri panchayat and political leaders have expressed dissatisfaction over the issue. Sarpanch Krishna Dessai and the panch members questioned how the government could hand over land that was acquired for GIDC to set up industries. Dessai said, “The village youth are unemployed, and the Defence Expo will not give us any bread and butter.”
Former local Congress MLA Chandrakant Kavlekar was instrumental in acquiring the land for the Food Park project, which the Congress ultimately could not execute. The current BJP government has also kept the project in cold storage.
While the villagers are against the defence project, the local MLA has not directly opposed or favoured it. Some of them are trying to get support from the Velim and Cuncolim MLAs. On the other hand, BJP supporters have defended the project and expressed pride that Goa could host a project of such prestige.
