Press Statement by GFDO July 30, 2014
In a statement issued here today, Goans for Dabolim Only said that Pratapsing Rane had finally and formally admitted on the floor of the Assembly that his actions had given birth to the controversial dual airport problem that Goa faces today. Of course his devotion to the Mopa Airport is understandable given the fact that lands owned by him in that vicinity will greatly appreciate in value if Mopa Airport ever comes up. In fact, Rane of the Congress party seems to have been at the genesis of most of the problems plaguing Goa. It was he who was responsible for ushering the land grab scheme masquerading as SEZs into Goa. The people will recollect that they were compelled to rise and protest against this outrage, until the then Congress Chief Minister Digambar Kamat was responsive enough to remedy the damage done by his party colleague Rane and withdraw the SEZ policy for Goa. Besides the Mopa and SEZ imbroglio, Rane’s ‘destructive hand’ was also seen in the events leading to the Language Agitation that rocked Goa in the 1980s and the RP 2011 issue that brought Goans out into the streets in the year 2006. The people of Goa have not forgotten entirely that Rane in his MGP avatar, supported the merger of Goa with Maharashtra. The role played by him in the Language Agitation clearly demonstrated where his true loyalties lay. GFDO warned CM Parrikar not to take the people of Goa for granted and imagine that the BJP’s victory in the South Goa Lok Sabha elections was a referendum for Mopa. In fact, a reality check would reveal to him that the Congress was decimated in the recent elections, only because it was full of people like Pratapsing Rane who nurtured their private interests at a very high cost to the Congress party and the interests of Goa. GFDO also questioned how CM Parrikar who sat alongside Matanhy Saldanha and the GMAS protesting against SEZs at Panjim’s Ferry Wharf, can today declare his intention to set a seal of legitimacy on this alleged scam, by gifting 30% of the land to the same real estate lobbies posing as SEZ developers. In fact, one of the important planks on which the BJP won the Assembly elections was Parrikar’s promise to do away with casinos. By now of course, the people of Goa are well aware of his dismal track record for keeping his public promises. Regarding the Mopa issue, the CM went so far as to publicly declare that Matanhy Saldanha had changed his mind and understood the need for Mopa before his untimely demise, which compelled Matanhy’s wife Alina Saldanha, now a Minister in Parrikar’s cabinet, to come out with a public statement that she was not aware of this change of heart in Matanhy. Unfortunately for the people of Goa, Pratapsing Rane and Manohar Parrikar are two sides of the same coin. One comes up with the misguided and detrimental policies to Goa, the other perpetuates them and profits from them. However, one thing is certain in the minds of the people of Goa. Mopa is economically and ecologically unviable and will not be able to either generate or sustain capacity utilisation. Mopa Airport is an unrealistic, disastrous illusion harboured by Pratapsing Rane and Manohar Parrikar. History will prove this. For GOANS FOR DABOLIM ONLY Fr. Eremito Rebelo Convenor
