June 13th, 2015
PRESS NOTE
Dismembering of Pernem Taluka – Destructive Agenda of the BJP Government
GFDO said that Chief Minister Parsekar had at last publicly confirmed what it
knew all along – that the so called ‘development’ in Tiracol, comprising
Leading Hotel’s golf course and four more starred hotels was linked to his
efforts to transform the unfeasible Mopa Airport into a viable, money spinning
project, even at the cost of ruining his very own constituents and Goa at
large. In fact, the BJP’s Mopa Airport dream is turning out to be a nightmare
for the unfortunate people of Goa. Goans hailing from Pernem in the North to
Canacona in the South will all be united in having to pay a very heavy price in
terms of displacement and loss of occupation and property for the setting up of
not only luxury projects but also the six lane highway linking North and South
Goa that is so crucial to fulfilling the BJP’s Mopa Airport obsession.
Indeed it is shocking that CM Parsekar dubs 99% of the tourism businesses of
his own Pernem people as ‘illegal’, yet labels the golf course project at
Tiracol as ‘legal’ when it has clearly violated the NGT orders and has a number
of unanswered questions hanging fire over it about the manner in which the
clearances were given. Does CM Parsekar think that bringing bouncers in the
dead of night was a legal activity?
Mr Parsekar’s statement that “Khalap and his tenants are protesting” is a clear
admission of his knowledge that the persons who are losing their lands are
tenants. Hence, as their MLA and Chief Minister, it was his duty to act
immediately against the serious fraud committed on law as the tenants were
allegedly coerced and manipulated into signing false negative declarations.
Instead, by his own admission, he has tried to cover up the blatantly illegal
land grab by giving permissions to, and accepting the money from those he knows
to have committed fraud on law.
Mr Parsekar’s defence that Tiracol Golf Course, four 5-Star Hotels and other
forced displacements of Pernem residents are necessary for Mopa Airport to be
feasible, clearly exposes his role as one of the main planners for the
destruction of the entire taluka, since he is the same man who fought for Mopa
Airport land acquisition! His indifference to the survival of thousands of
residents of the 6 villages directly affected pales into insignificance when
compared with his total and utter disregard to what will happen to the rest of
Pernem, especially the villages of Keri, Arambol, Mandrem and Morjim if four
5-Star Hotels, the Tiracol Golf Course and hundreds of ‘mega-projects’ that
will result from the government’s gift to the Mopa Airport developer of 15 lakh
sq. metres of land for real estate at a mind boggling 400 FAR are imposed on
this small sensitive taluka.
It is extremely unfortunate that the Mandrem MLA, who won the Chief Minister’s
‘lottery’ recently, appears to be obsessed with selling off the entire taluka
of Pernem to vested corporate interests at a heavy cost of displacement of not
only his own constituents but other Goans from North to South Goa for the
mandatory six lane highway that will undoubtedly be shortly raising its ugly
head to plague Goans yet again as the BJP ruthlessly moves to fulfil its Mopa
Airport dream at any cost.
The violence against Goa and Goans has reached unbearable proportions. The
people of Goa have never felt as threatened and insecure as today, and the land
and its people have never faced such a bleak and terrifying future. It is time
for the highly resourceful residents of Pernem and the rest of Goa to act
together to bring the destructive plans of the greedy vested interests to a
permanent end. Mr Parsekar, the BJP government and all others eyeing profits
from the lands of poor, unsuspecting Goans must immediately learn to respect
the people of Goa, the laws of the land and the natural laws of life and
living, or face the resulting consequences.
For GOANS FOR DABOLIM ONLY
Fr. Eremito Rebelo
Convenor
