Salcete MLAs say Dabolim only, others favour both
TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Mopa airport would be made operational by 2017, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar informed the State Legislative Assembly on Monday, stating that the land would be officially in possession of government by April 8, with the notification being signed on Monday.
But Dabolim airport will remain in operation even after Mopa airport starts, Parrikar reiterated.
The chief minister stated that the government had almost completed the process of land acquisition for the proposed Greenfield airport at Mopa, and the request for qualification (RFQ) is likely to be issued by April 11 to find out which companies can do the best job.
Cutting across party lines the MLAs, before the chief minister’s reply, were literally divided between the Salcete MLAs batting only for Dabolim, and the other MLAs throwing their weight behind both Mopa and Dabolim.
“The airport is expected to come up in the next four years from now, ie by end of 2016 or beginning of 2017. By this time the Dabolim airport will not be in a position to handle traffic of 5.5 to 6 million. All the formalities of the land acquisition have been completed and we would be in possession of land by April 8, officially,” Parrikar informed.
The Chief Minister also announced that no development would be allowed within seven kms radius from the center of the Mopa airport.
“We are in the process of freezing all development within the area except for the area which is part of the tender process,” he said, adding that forest areas would be fully protected.
The Assembly session Monday witnessed an animated debate on the airport issue, wherein the Opposition benches termed the proposed airport as a scam, while the ruling coalition supported the Mopa airport and demanded that the Dabolim should continue operations.
Parrikar regretted the petty politics played on the airport issue and said, “It will be my aim to make sure that Dabolim will remain with all (its) glory. It will be in fitting memory to Matanhy (Saldanha),” Parrikar said adding Mopa is an alternative to Dabolim.
Parrikar stated that Dabolim facility will be saturated even after its expansion. “Dabolim is handling 3.7 million passengers every year currently and the number will go to 5 million in 2015 and 5.5 million in 2016,” he said, adding that the facility, even after expansion can handle only 4 million passengers annually.
The chief minister clarified that by 2017 Dabolim will be overloaded and if that happens we will have to put restriction on tourist arrivals. “I am ready to do that but our economy will become stagnant and will put ourselves into a major black-hole,” he stated.
Parrikar clarified that in 2002, it was his initiative to allocate 39 lakh sq mtrs of land for expansion of Dabolim terminal, which is likely to be functional by August 2013.
Pointing to the Union Cabinet decision, Chief Minister said ‘as per ICAO report submitted in 2007, it was said that it is possible to operate two airports in the state with equitable distribution of traffic”.
He said that the ICAO also had claimed that even after expansion, Dabolim would be saturated by 2013.
He also ruled out that the construction of airport at Chippi in Maharashtra would dent the prospects of Mopa airport as the Maharashtra airport is smaller.
Govt assures farmers higher compensation
PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday announced that he would give higher compensation to farmers, who have lost their land for the proposed Greenfield airport at Mopa and that his government is in the process of forming a land acquisition policy which aims to give higher compensation to the farmers besides giving them other benefits such as jobs in the project.
The land acquisition policy would be introduced during the ongoing Assembly session, the Chief Minister said, while replying to the discussion on demand for grants on the airport.
Parrikar said that the farmers who had to give their land for Mopa airport would be paid Rs 150-300 per square metre depending on the type of land and type of ownership. “Government will take care of the farmers for next 30 years,” he added.
During the discussion, Congress MLA Mauvin Godinho demanded compensation to the poor farmers, whose land has been acquired for the project. He said that they should be well compensated along with providing alternatives to their livelihood.
“Irrespective of the fact that they (farmers) lost their case in the High Court, government should provide them all the required compensation,” he stated.
As per the reply tabled in the House, the state government has acquired land from the villages of Casarvornem, Chandel, Varconda, Uguem and Mopa in Pernem taluka for the facility.
Dabolim was civilian airport: Cabral
PANJIM: BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral Monday told the House that he felt that the Indian Navy’s possession of the Dabolim airport was illegal.
“Navy has taken over the airport illegally… The airport was never with the Navy. It was a civilian airport and built by the Portuguese under the then PWD. Why can’t we take it back,” he questioned.
He wanted the chief minister to take up this issue and said, “When our BJP government will come to power at the Centre, we can take it in writing from the aviation ministry.” He added that there are a lot of documents to show that this (Dabolim) was never a naval airport.
