Margao: A delegation from GFDO met with TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai at the Matanhy Saldanha Complex in Margao on Thursday and reiterated their demand of scrapping Mopa Airport. The GFDO handed him the memorandum regarding the proposed Mopa Airport.
“In fact as the Fatorda MLA totally in tune with the aspirations of your people, you had won accolades for your strong stand against the proposed Mopa Airport project through your initiative of starting the ‘Goemkar’ movement, with meetings and interaction in various villages as well as spirited depositions from the Opposition benches in the Legislative Assembly. You had even questioned the then government’s undue haste in floating the Request for Qualification (RFQ) at a time when the project had not even obtained the environment clearances” said Father Eremito in the memorandum.
GFDO also reminded TCP Minister how his movement had convinced several panchayats to take resolutions against Mopa.
“Today, as Goa’s TCP Minister, you will be presiding over a Draft Regional Plan that has been prepared with the proposed Mopa Airport as its basis and fulcrum. A 6-lane North South expressway, which is a pre-condition for Mopa airport, will bisect every village along its route. This will destroy many Goan villages completely, creating socio-economic problems and environmental degradation all along the length of the State. In light of your recent endeavor as TCP Minister to preserve and protect traditional homes, you will surely appreciate the fact that this project will demand the destruction of traditional homes, heritage structures, agricultural lands and ecological hotspots to make way for the new infrastructure that is a pre-condition for the second airport” says the Memorandum.
“Today, by a set of fortuitous circumstances, you are a crucial and integral part of Goa’s newly constituted Government, well placed in a position that enables you to take decisive action to put a halt to this contentious and destructive project. We are confident that you will not leave bereft the people of Goa who also supported this cause, but will act in your newfound position to ensure that the controversial Mopa Airport project is scrapped forthwith before it destroys the Goan economy, environment, demography and identity” urges GFDO.
