MARGAO: An anti-Mopa meeting held at Majorda on Sunday has demanded that local MLA Mickky Pacheco should either get the BJP drop the Mopa airport or the MLA should withdraw support to the BJP-led government.
The meeting sent a message loud and clear to Mickky that villagers will not tolerate if he gets into the Parsekar government but maintains silence on Mopa airport.
In his address, UGDP leader Adv Radharao Gracias said that villagers of Majorda are totally opposed to the new airport at Mopa, while demanding that the local MLA should rally behind the villagers in opposing Mopa. “The people of Majorda are opposed to Mopa. It is also a fact that our local MLA Mickky Pacheco is supporting the BJP government. The people of Majorda resolve here that Mickky should withdraw support to the BJP government if the government goes ahead with Mopa”, Radharao said, while issuing a warning that people of Majorda will act at the right time if the local MLA does not fall in line with the demands of the villagers.
Mickky was conspicuous by his absence at the meeting.
Addressing the meeting, GFDO leader Rajendra Kakodkar said the MLAs cannot keep quite on the airport row for fear of losing some government works such as drains. Referring to the statement of Velim MLA Benjamin D’Silva that ruling MLAs cannot force the government too much as any such decision will hit the developmental works, Kakodkar said people of Goa do not want drains and small concrete works, but human development.
South Goa Zilla Panchayat member Nelly Rodrigues gave a call to the people to fight the battle unitedly, while villager Jeorge Fernandes said that entire Goa will suffer if Mopa becomes a reality.
GFDO Convenor Fr Eremito Rebello and other also spoke at the meeting.
