Team Herald
PANJIM: Outlook for Social Change (OSC), a forum of conscious citizens which deals in safeguarding the economic and environmental assets has demanded a CBI probe monitored by the Chief Vigilance Commissioner into the proposed greenfield airport project at Mopa.
Addressing the media, OSC Convenor Abhilash Tripathi said a second airport for Goa is not a necessity as the airport at Dabolim can handle air traffic to Goa for the next 10 years. He said the Mopa airport will be a complete disaster.
Tripathi said that Mopa and its adjoining areas in Goa are a classic example of the rich natural heritage, wildlife, flora and fauna and natural marvels possessed by our country. The natural heritage of the country belongs to the people of India and cannot be given away for needless developmental projects, which serve a few private interests, he added.
He said that land measuring 27000 acres has been given to the private developer to construct the proposed airport at Mopa, whereas the total cost of the project is Rs 3000 crore. He said that the cost of the property is only Rs 5500 crore which they have got free whereas the Goa government has acquired this property by compensating the farmers with Rs 25 to Rs 40 per sq metre.
A delegation of OSC has met the Governor and Chief Minister of Goa and handed over the memorandum to them.
Tripathi said that of the five bidders, four companies do not qualify for the bidding whereas it appears that conscious attempts have been made to accommodate Essel Infraprojects. He said that in October 2015 the government of MP terminated two contracts of Essel Infraprojects just a few days before Goa announced the list of five qualified bidders for Mopa airport.
“The committee of Directorate of Civil Aviation, government of Goa turned a blind eye to accommodate Essel Infraprojects,” Tripathi said.
There are a series of flaws in the process, Tripathi said, demanding a CBI inquiry in the process.
