UGDP corners BJP & Alina over Mopa issue

GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 26 April 2012 19:09 IST

The United Goans Democratic Party has made the Mopa air port a poll issue in Cortalim bye-election, by cornering Alina Saldanha, wife of late Matanhy, who represented Cortalim.

The controversy over existing Dabolim air port in Vasco and proposed Mopa air port in Pernem has come to the fore once again as the Manohar Parrikar cabinet has approved the project in a cabinet meeting.

The government has decided to float global tenders for the project worth Rs 2500 crore on Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) basis.

While reminding that Alina at the funeral mass had assured the Goans to take ahead her husband’s legacy, UGDP vice president Radharao Gracias has appealed to her to come out openly against the proposed Mopa air port.

“Matanhy had always opposed the Mopa air port and the BJP even did not mention it in its election manifesto”, recalled Adv Gracias.

Alina is yet to accept the BJP proposal to contest from Cortalim, the seat that has fallen vacant after sad demise of her husband Matanhy on 21 March.

The bye-election now has been scheduled on 2 June.

The UGDP has now called upon all the non-BJP political parties to field a common candidate opposing Mopa air port.

On the other hand, the whole Pernem taluka was up in arms when several South Goa politicians, headed by Churchill Alemao, had opposed Mopa air port by shutting down the existing Dabolim air port.

Pernem and people from surrounding talukas from the North Goa however look at Mopa air port as an opportunity for employment and business.

Matanhy however was of the view that Dabolim air port did not belong to the Navy and they should vacate the whole area and shift to new Sea Bird naval base at Karwar.

As air traffic to Goa has increased massively, Dabolim air port cannot accommodate all the flights at rush time and lack of infrastructure facilities creates inconvenience to the national and international tourists.

The South Goa hoteliers as well as politicians however fear that shutting down of Dabolim air port and starting of Mopa would affect Salcete-based five star tourism severely while Konkan-based Maharashtra beach tourism would benefit tremendously.

The Congress had thus worked out a via media by keeping both the air ports open for traffic.

The BJP is also planning to take ahead this political formula in order to satisfy both the North and South Goa lobbies. 


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Well well.. it's the 'supari' clowns of Goan Politics back to business again- Radha(matse)rao and Anna Clet. Goans beware these two are not at all bothered about Mathany or Dabolim, they just want anarchy to reign supreme. I too am of the opinion that the government now and before have betrayed Goans on the Mopa issue. This airport actually is built to help Mr. Sharad Pawar and Maharastra, with Pratapsingh Rane as their ambassador, but we do need to beware of these two clowns who are now trying to start a new political circus of Goa. If these were interested in Mathany's views, why did they trouble him so much all these years, with the treatment they have meted out to him? If any other party other than the CON(men)GRESS has betrayed Goa, it is the UGDP under the leadership of these two clowns, who even did away with their RING MASTER' Chachill Alemao.

What Mathany was against was the usurping of the Dabolim land by the Navy, not so much the airport at MOPA. I would advise these two political lawyers, to file a case in the court and fight it for the sake of Goans, instead of this clown act of theirs. At least in this way you will serve your motherland much better, instead of spoiling the future of innocent Goans who will face difficulties due to police thrashings and cases in the future. You guys will just sit in your offices while naive Goans will be sitting in jails.

Finally the best service you the duo of "Ana-Rao" can render to Goans is to undersatnd yourselves and leave Goan politics for good.

- jaret chandrapurkar, chandor | 27 th April 2012 23:08

 

A new airport with private sector funding will find any takers?

given that only Kochi CIAL] airport is making money thanks to lot of Keralites in Gulf countries,

the pvt sector airport im metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai are running in losses , and with proposed user development fees air travel,is set to be costly, given the scenario a second airport is just not viable in Goa

I doubt any private player will bid for the Mopa airport

Mopa i doubt will come up in the lifetime of our present day politicians, who want to keeep the issue alive for their political gains

Building Mopa is not the only solution, a fasttrack, highspeed conectivity is require from Mopa to all our Towns

- thomas, cortalim | 27 th April 2012 15:11

 

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