The protestors included GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro, Quepem MLA Chandrakant Kavlekar, Ex-Congress MLAs Pratap Gauns and Felipe Neri Rodrigues, and members of Goans for Dabolim Only, United Goans Foundation, Federation of Rainbow Warriors and Goans for Sustainable Development. Faleiro and the others squatted on the road, preventing the Defence vehicles from reaching the expo site.
At around 11 am, the Quepem Mamlatdar visited the site and invited them through a written notice to attend a joint meeting at the Collectorate in Fatorda, where a presentation on the DefExpo would be made by the South Goa Collector.
Addressing the media, the protesters questioned the secrecy maintained by the government regarding the project and demanded that the authorities explain how the project would benefit the locals.
“The government hasn’t explained to us what the Defence Expo is. The CM asks us to study the plan and then oppose the project, but where is the report to refer to?” said Freddy, a local. He added, “We don’t have proper electricity, phone and water connections. Why do we need Defence Expo in that case?”
While the protestors demanded that the District Collector visit the spot and explain the government’s actions, the government officials who came to the site invited the people to come to the Collectorate in the evening.
“Even after there was a recommendation for Mopa as a venue for the Defence Expo, how did the land of Quitol come in the picture? What is the hidden agenda of the government?” asked Faleiro.
