PANJIM: Alleging that the BJP-led government has put the State on sale, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik accused Union Defence MinisTer Manohar Parrikar of being the “official broker of the Goa government”.
Addressing media persons, Naik charged that the track record of the Defence Ministry, as regards Goa land, is of land grabbing in the name of Defence requirement. Naik’s statement was in relation to the State government’s decision to transfer 250 acres of land in Naquerim village in Quepem taluka to the Defence Ministry for DefExpo India.
“Today BJP government has put the State on sale and it is unfortunate that the defence minister is the official broker of the Goa government,” he said. He questioned the need for handing over the land to the Defence ministry, when the land had been identified for establishing an industrial estate.
“The land was identified for establishing an industrial estate, with the intention of gainful employment to local youth but the defence minister has thrown the interest of Goa and its unemployed youths to wind and ventured into a project which can be located in any other State where land is available in plenty,” Naik said.
He said Goa does not have land to waste and to lease out the land for DefExpo is a criminal misutilisation of precious Goan land.
The MP pointed out how the Navy is making attempts to grab an island off the coast of Vasco despite public opposition. He said the Navy is occupying 1687.51 acres of land at Dabolim, with Parrikar failing to make any efforts to get back the land.
