------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | New on Goanet's website's A&E section - http://www.goanet.org | | Book in Review: A Kind of Absence - Joao da Veiga Coutinho | | POEM: SUSEGAAD - Cynthia Gomes James | | http://www.goanet.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=216 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A curious phenomenon has appeared in the media in recent days. Two warring factions are playing the same card to put one over the other!
Today's HERALD reports that Churchill Alemao believes the Rs 500 crore plan for Dabolim is a strong vote of confidence by the Congress Party in this facility so Mopa should shut shop. The other day the new pro-Mopa committee used the same proposal to claim that, sure, Dabolim would continue but all the more reason that Mopa was still needed --- to balance the north-south scales in the state's development! What are we to make of this strange tug-of-war? A focus on facts always helps in sorting out wheat from chaff. Both sides should be advised to desist from using this 500 crore argument unless and until:: 1. The Civil Aviation Ministry confirms the quantum and itemises the application of the funds i.e. whether it is for parking bays, terminal modernisation, runway replacement or addition of another runway or whatever and 2. The Defence Ministry issues an NOC for the above and parts with Dabolim land accordingly in an expeditious manner. Otherwise this is all just a lot of hot air and a waste of the public's time. In a recent post I have already pointed out what the pro-Mopa committee should be doing. Churchill Alemao for his part should act in a more statesmanlike manner and withdraw his one point agenda of "Mopa Never". He may be in the best position to help alleviate the real institutional (rather than alleged geographical) constraints at Dabolim which have led to the Mopa design going overboard in the first place. He should now join hands with the rivals and focus his formidable energies on getting the design of "Dabolim+Mopa' right for the long term for Goa's sake. The new slogan of both factions should be Dabolim+Mopa For Goa, Forever! Cheers! Also he should not get overly legalistic about "waiting for the PM's decision" to take its course. The contest between opposing groups helps generate more information about what is going on. There is a real scarcity of information about both Dabolim and Mopa.
