April 5th, 2014
GFDO PRESS STATEMENT
GFDO said that it is now almost a year since two state cabinet ministers Alina
Saldanha and Avertano Furtado along with two MLAs supporting the ruling BJP
dispensation, namely Caitu D’Silva and Benjamin D’Silva attended the first
massive GFDO public meeting in Margao on May 15th, 2013. It was gratifying that
all of them publicly declared their unflinching support to the cause of
scrapping Mopa and preserving Dabolim as Goa’s only airport. But now perhaps it
is time for Goans to look closely at the track record of these various elected
representatives since that day.
Alina Saldanha of Cortalim and Avertano Furtado of Navelim constituencies are
still part of the Parrikar led cabinet and continue to be silent spectators as
their government time and again asserts its firm intention to push ahead with
the Mopa project, without even caring to explain its position and address the
people’s well founded concerns. In fact, quite recently, Alina Saldanha on a
public platform at Cansaulim, put the burden on the people of Goa by urging
them to unite and get the Navy out of Dabolim without any mention of the
efforts her government has made or intends making in this direction.
Avertano Furtado attended a meeting at Navelim organized by his constituents on
February 16th, 2014, where intriguingly, he tried to convince his constituents
that there was no final decision on Mopa despite his own Chief Minister time
and again publicly asserting that Mopa will come. Finally he promised to work
wholeheartedly towards scrapping Mopa airport as his constituents demanded. But
like Alina Saldanha, he continues to be an integral part of this government,
supporting all its decisions, in direct contradiction of his public assurances
to the people.
Caitu D’Silva representing Benaulim constituency, who publicly supported his
constituents’ demand for Dabolim airport almost a year ago, decided to switch
his loyalties to the state government, since the BJP had supported him in his
personal dual citizenship crisis.
Benjamin D’Silva of Velim constituency has tied himself to the BJP state
governmetn bandwagon despite knowing the BJP’s stand on the Mopa issue and his
assurances to the people.
Mickky Pacheco of Nuvem, at a meeting called by his constituents at Nuvem on
February 27th, 2014, made headlines when he proclaimed aloud that he was
willing to withdraw support to the state government on the issue of Mopa. On
March 29th, he along with Caitu D’Silva, pledged their party’s full fledged
support to the BJP despite the BJP and its government sticking firmly to their
stand on bringing in Mopa airport.
Over the years, Goans have been time and again taken for a ride by their
elected representatives and governments, who do not even make a pretence of
fulfilling their promises. Last time around, the Assembly elections of 2012 saw
Goans finally having their say when they dislodged the Congress government and
ushered in the BJP government with great hope. Now the time has arrived for
Goans to carefully examine the performance of these MLAs, who by their
doublespeak, have insulted the Goan electorate. The time will soon come, when
we the people, can once again have our say.
This BJP government appears to be obsessed with unnecessary and huge projects
at the cost of basic necessities of the people. Soon Goans may find that the
irrational development foisted by them upon the state for obvious reasons, will
leave Goa saddled with white elephant infrastructural projects and a collapsing
economy as Spain has now found too late, to its detriment.
For GOANS FOR DABOLIM ONLY
Fr. Eremito Rebelo
Convenor
