Team Herald
MARGAO: Goans For Dabolim Only (GFDO) sarcastically congratulated Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar for convincing Prime Minister Modi to come down to Goa to lay the foundation stone for the proposed international airport at Mopa.
“The people of Goa would like to know if Parsekar communicated to the PM that the Mopa Airport project is facing stiff opposition from the people of Goa and is embroiled in three court cases. Two of these cases have been filed with the National Green Tribunal in Pune, presenting the various unaddressed environmental concerns of the people and disputing the validity and the integrity of the EIA, based upon which this contentious project is sought to be imposed,” GFDO convener Fr Eremito Rebelo said.
“There have also been many doubts raised about the legality of the land acquisition process itself for this project which have also been left unaddressed by the State government. A third case has been filed questioning the land acquisition process of the Government and is pending in the Supreme Court of India,” Fr Eremito said.
GFDO said that if Modi is aware of the nebulous foundation based upon which the Mopa Airport project is sought to be built, then it appears to be highly unbefitting for a prime minister to be perceived as setting his seal of approval on such a project mired in controversy, until the doubts have been addressed and laid to rest.
In fact, the well founded suspicion that the proposed Mopa Airport project is just another land grab attempt by various interested parties has been further substantiated by the Defence Minister’s U turn in demanding five acres of land for the Indian Navy at Mopa, in addition to the complete control it presently holds over Dabolim Airport, Fr Eremito said.
Recalling that the request for land at Mopa for the Navy, which was part of NOC granted by the Central Government for the Mopa project, was rejected by the Goa Government a few months ago, GFDO said, hence, Parsekar needs to explain the reason for this latest U turn to the people of Goa without apparently taking even his Cabinet into confidence.
“In May 2013, Parrikar had publicly declared that he would be writing to the prime minister about shifting the Navy entirely to Mopa and leaving Dabolim entirely for civilian operations. It is regrettable that today, being part of the Central Cabinet, and having command of the Defence Establishment, he has inexplicably changed his stand,” Fr Eremito said.
