TEAM HERALD
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PANJIM: Divisions within Congressmen on support for Mopa airport have now come to the fore with the party publicly admitting this at a press conference Monday.
CLP spokesman Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco conceded differences of opinion on the issue but defended them, in the same breath, saying these were ‘individual views’. The party, he said, will soon release a formal statement on its official stand, after a meeting at the Centre.
“We as members have difference and we have to show…In Congress we allow partymen to speak but people’s sentiments matter the most. These are individual views and not party’s view,” Reginaldo said, while responding to a question.
Though the Congress party’s divided stand on Mopa was evident when Member of Parliament Francisco Sardinha pitched for the project, in stark contrast to Reginaldo and Sudip Tamhankar who opposed it, the party has now officially admitted the differences.
Sardinha had stated on January 18 that he supports co-existence of both international airports at Mopa and Dabolim, and at the same time a highway from Canacona to Pernem for easy transportation.
“We will take our sentiments to the Centre because of the difference in opinion,” said Reginaldo Lourenco, who has been opposing the PPP Greenfield project, claiming it’s being forced on the people of Goa.
The two party spokesmen ~ Reginaldo and Tamankar ~ have alleged that the intention of having Mopa project is to close down the existing international airport.
The Curtorim legislator commented at this press briefing, “Let Mopa acquisition continue but don’t stop Dabolim.” While accusing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar of ‘hurriedly’ going ahead with the Mopa project, he expressed concern that youth will lose their livelihood if Dabolim is shut.
“Vasco will be finished if Dabolim is shut. There are issues as far as Dabolim is concerned. It has to be maintained,” Lourenco added.
All Goa Congress Committee Minority Chairman Saifullah Khan, who was also present at the briefing, has demanded from the government to reacquire the denotified Dabolim airport parking land.
“The chief minister is fooling the people on the Dabolim parking land…If the Dabolim airport is scrapped, South Goa will face problems,” he said.
