Churchill, Floriano, Radharao share dais, call upon PM to stop airport
MARGAO: A new political group comprising of Radharao Gracias, Churchill Alemao, Floriano Lobo and others on Wednesday demanded intervention of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to immediately stop all activities in respect of the Mopa airport.
Less than a week after activists launched ‘Goans for Dabolim Only’ headed by Fr Eremito Rebello, the new group has warned of an agitation if the Congress government at the Centre fails to respond to their demand by May end.
Addressing the media, Radharao said both the BJP and the Congress are out to defraud the Goan people on the airport issue. He called upon the people of Goa to rise as one and unitedly field candidates in the coming Lok Sabha polls to defeat both the Congress and the BJP on the issue of Dabolim airport. “We demand that the Congress government at the Centre intervene and immediately stop the Mopa airport and then hold discussions with local people on their apprehensions about the future of Dabolim. Airport construction come under the Centre and the State governments only makes the land available. The Congress government at the Centre cannot shirk its responsibility,” he asserted.
Saying that Environment Minister Alina Saldanha should come out clear on the Mopa airport, Radharao further demanded that all ruling MLAs opposed to Mopa should serve a deadline on the Parrikar government to scrap the airport by May or withdraw support to the government. “When Matanhy was in the UGDP, he was opposed to the Mopa airport. We would like to know from Alina whether Matanhy had subscribed to the BJP ideology on Mopa when he joined that party along with her. Alina should answer this question,” he said.
Replying to a question, he said the new group is sending a message to the government that there are forces ready to oppose the Mmopa airport and launch an agitation. “Let all people opposed to Mopa join hands irrespective whether they are politicians or activists. We are opposed to any movement keeping out the politicians. Finally, governance is not carried by the activists, but by the politicians”, he asserted.
Former PWD Minister, Churchill Alemao said he had always opposed the Mopa airport and blamed Former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat for pushing the Mopa airport. Saying that the Navy owns the Dabolim airport, he feared that it will be shut down for civilian operations once Mopa becomes a reality. When quizzed by newsmen what he and his congress government had done to stop the Mopa airport during the last five years, Churchill replied saying the airport work was delayed by the previous government, but is now sought to be expedited by the Parrikar government. Replying to another question, Churchill said the Centre approved the Dabolim upgradation work only after the Save Goa Front launched a movement in favour of Dabolim, adding “It’s now for the people of Goa to take a call whether they want Dabolim only or both the airports”.
General Secretary of Goa Suraj Party Floriano Lobo said that Dabolim will be shut down once Mopa becomes a reality because it is owned by the Navy. “Dabolim should be made a civilian airport and named after Jack De Sequeira by shifting Navy to Seabird. The Navy is illegally occupying the airport,” he said.
Lobo started by saying that he was not sitting along with the UGDP and the Congress, but with like minded Goans, who wanted only Dabolim and the shifting of Navy to nearby Seabird.
