Dear All, Goans for Dabolim only a group which has been opposing the proposed unrealistic new Airport at Mopa in north of Goa, A press conference was held at institute piedade today 11am in panaji. Sending herewith the press note , please do needful thanking you regards sidharth
*PRESS RELEASE* GFDO has been repeatedly warning all Goans that Mopa Airport is nothing but a massive land scam that will destroy Goa irreversibly. While the Government continues to fool the people by saying that Mopa airport is necessary and feasible, its decision to gift 381 acres of land under acquisition to the private Airport developer for commercial use at 4 FAR proves us right - that the proposed Airport is nothing but a massive land scam. The same Government which claims that Goa has a severe scarcity of land is now offering a gift of 381 acres of prime land to a private company for free. This is indeed a cruel joke on the poor unsuspecting residents of Pernem taluka, who are being sentenced to large-scale displacement under the false promise of development, and on the rest of us Goans, who are being forcibly converted into desperate refugees in our own land. Our Government has announced that an unknown private “investor” is being gifted land with permissions for commercial use valued at over 12,000 crores. While the Mopa Airport is being paraded as a necessity and economically viable project, a gift of over 12,000 crores is being offered to private parties, revealing that speculative windfall profits are all that matters to our decision makers. GFDO reminds all Goans that the scam over land under acquisition is just a tip of the iceberg, and that a much greater land scam is awaiting the rest of Pernem Taluka. Unsuspecting local residents in all parts of Pernem are in for a nasty surprise when hordes of developers are going to claim the vast tracts of lands that have charged hands in anticipation of speculative profits in the name of Mopa Airport. The oppressed sections of the feudal society of Pernem, who form the silent majority, remain unaware and clueless about the tidal wave of immigration and resultant large-scale displacement that awaits them in the future. The blind pursuit of short-term profits from speculative land use change has reached epic proportions with the Mopa Airport project, which threatens to destroy Goa’s economy, society and environment for private profits. The real fight for special status for Goa is the fight against the Mopa Airport project and the underlying greed that threatens to consume all of us. All Goans must open their eyes to this bitter truth, before it is too late.
