Three years after he made a categorical statement that the that no more land would be granted to the Central government agencies, Manohar Parrikar, the then chief minister who is now the present Defence Minister of India has taken another U-turn, which he is famously known for, by granting prime land for Defence Expo.
Dictated by Parrikar, the Goa government, through the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), has approved allocation of 150 acres of land to the Defence Ministry for organizing the Defexpo and Aero India shows.
What is even more surprising is that the GIDC has been kept totally in the dark on the issue with GIDC officials, speaking to Herald stating that they have no clue whatsoever of what is going to happen with the land.
“No detailed project report has been submitted to the GIDC, which took a decision to “in principle” approve the allotment of land for Defence expo.
Blaise Costabir, a member of the Board, told Herald “we do not have the details of this project but yes I have voted in favour of it as I found it is something which is better then other options like handing over to real-estate lobby.”
He says the land would remain in the possession of the GIDC and would be used by the Defence for only the period of expo.
Asked whether the GIDC mandate approves of such permissions or allotment other than industries, he said, “yes, there is a provision for such allotments.”
Why Quittol, Betul?
The ground reality is that this small village of Quitol, Betul has been almost grabbed by the Goa Industrial Development Corporation and the Central Government agencies, which has irked the locals more as according to them these expos would not help the unemployed youth.
A number of Village Panchayats including Velim, Khola, Fatorpa, Ambelim, Agonda and even Loutolim have resolved to support the Naqueri-Betul Panchayat in their fight against the GIDC’s approval to hand over the land acquired for Industrial Estate to the Ministry for Defence to organize Defexpo and Aero India shows.
Inquiries reveal that besides this six lakh sq metres of land, which is now served to the Defence Ministry on a platter, another central government agency the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has acquired around 12 lakh sq metres of land and out of that 95 per cent has remained unutilized.
Besides, the GIDC has another six lakh metres of land in the same village in their possession. In all, 24 lakh sq metres of land in small village has been acquired for no benefit to locals.
Betul residents speaking to Herald were critical of such huge tracts of land is being used in their village.
“We do not need this, we would prefer IIT or an industrial estate in the area as it will benefit our locals,” said Krishna Velip.
Another local Shamba Desai went on to say that the whole mess has been created by the local MLA Babu Kavalekar, who unnecessarily acquired huge tracts of land for GIDC and did nothing. Betul sarpanch Krishna Desai told Herald, the villagers and the panchayat has been totally kept in the dark by the government and the GIDC.“We went to ask the MD of GIDC about his latest gift to Manohar Parrikar and he says he has no information and the corporation has just received a letter from government to hand over land to the defence ministry,” Desai said.Desai said the local MLA Babu Kavalekar has to tell people what is happening why huge lands are being acquired.“GIDC has total around 12 lakh sq metres of land (including 6 lakh for Defence) while the ONGC has 12 lakh sq metres of land, which has remained unutilised,” he said, adding “ONGC when it came in, had promised jobs for the locals but nothing like that has happened.”
Locals also suggested that if land has to be given to Defexpo give it from the one which is lying unutilised with ONGC.
“ONGC has acquired 12 lakh metres of land and has utilised just five percent of that and the remaining is unutilised so as to take that land and hand over to Defence for their plans,” said Velip.
Kavlekar against handing over land
Quepem MLA Babu Kavalekar, who stays at the stone’s throw away from this land, said that he has raised the issue in the just-concluded Assembly session.
“When I was GIDC chairman I had acquired this land for industry so that the locals would benefit from the jobs created in the industry that would come in, but unfortunately it never started and now the government has handed it over to the Defexpo,” Kavlekar said.
The former GIDC chairman said that he would prefer IT industries which would help the youth, rather than the Defexpo as it would help no one.
Kavlekar also pointed out that the six lakh sq mts land given to Defence is a part of the 8 lakh that was acquired by IDC for Food Park but Defence has taken only the main middle part and the rest of 2 lakh is almost unusable.
“The land also has a Ajoba temple, I do not know what the government is planning to do with it,” he said. On allegations that he acquired huge chunks of land, Kavlekar replied, “it was because I acquired land this area has remained safe till now otherwise it would been finished by the bauxite miners, who had an eye on the area.”
This statement is ironical since Kavlekar had a controversial stint as IDC chairman, when the GIDC plot scam took place and an investigation was ordered by the Anti Corruption Bureau. And his comment on the area being safe is amusing since not a single inch of land actually grabbed from the people has benefited them.
No project report, no feasibility…
Moreover the Ministry of Defence’s Request for 150 acres land is made without any detailed Project Report , which is unacceptable to the Panchayat and the People, It is our Constitutional Right to know about the details of any Project that is suppose to start in our area. Goa-IDC had acquired the land for industrial purposes promising employment for the locals and economic development of the village.
The Defexpo and Aero India shows will certainly not benefit the locals or the Panchayat in any way. Goa-IDC is bound by its promissory estoppels not to use the land for any other purposes without the approval of the Village Panchayat of Naquerim-Betul, but had failed to even consult the Panchayat and the residents of the Panchayat Area before deciding to grant the land to the Defence Ministry.
Further, there has been no feasibility study done of the area, nor has there been any Ecological Impact or Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), nor a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) done of the area which is of immense importance for a project of this dimension. Decisions on proposals for Projects of this magnitude should not be as per the whims and fancies of a few individuals as it will adversely affect the lives of thousands of people in and around that area.
Temporary Infrastructure?
The exhibition will showcase and exhibit tanks, missiles and rifles. It is natural to expect infrastructural needs to be created for their transportation.
Also, it is said that roughly there would be 2 lakh visitors for the Defexpo. Where would the State government accommodate them.
Betul, Naquerim etc do not have hotels or any infrastructure required to house them. Chief Minister Parsekar says the entire infrastructure created for the expo would be purely temporary. Even though the CM says that the land would be only for the expo period, locals say, if they know the Defence well the moment they get the land it would be compounded and locals or any civilian would not be allowed to enter. So they how how would the Govt tackle this.
