March 25, 2017 GFDO PRESS STATEMENT The People of Goa have voted against Mopa Centric Development The 2017 election results have clearly demonstrated the people’s rejection of the development model promoted first by the Congress from 2007-2012 and subsequently by the BJP from 2012-2017. This unsustainable Model, centered and planned around the concept of Mopa International Airport, calls for large scale change in land use, along with development of unaffordable five star infrastructure thus leading to inflated land rates, jobless growth, neglect of basically indispensable facilities and imposition of flawed policies such as the recent Tenancy amendments and the controversial IPB and Tourism Master Plan. In the process, grassroot Goans, particularly those engaged in traditional occupations, are being heartlessly alienated, marginalised and divorced from their land, their livelihood and their identity. Goans are suffering because the political class has bet the future of the entire state on an unfeasible, unsustainable and economically and environmentally destructive project that most likely won’t see the light of day.
CONSIDER THIS : Former CM Parsekar and Environment & Forest Minister Arlekar, who were showcasing this new Mopa Airport as a source of development and job creation for their respective constituencies of Mandrem and Pernem, were clearly and unambiguously rejected by the voters. The Amendments to the Tenancy Act, which was specifically tailored to bulldoze over any road blocks in land acquisition processes for these massive, unwanted projects, had an adverse impact on the ruling MLAs of Priol, Ponda and Sanguem who were also rejected by their voters. The MLAs of Salcete such as Avertano Furtado, Mickky Pacheco, Benjamin D’Silva, Caitu D’Silva and Rajan Naik, all silent and passive spectators to the cries of their electorate who voiced their opposition against Mopa, were shown the door by their voters. Both in 2012 and 2017, the Mopa-centric Regional Plan turned out to be a major issue that adversely affected villages, towns and the very existence of individual Goan homes. It is no coincidence that the Governments which did not support the demand for scrapping and denotifying this draconian and destructive plan were rejected. The people of Goa have realised that contrary to the claims of the outgoing BJP government, Mopa is certainly not a Job Generator. On the contrary, this project will snatch away the land and livelihood of locals. How many jobs will this airport generate for Goans in relation to the huge chunk of Goan jobs that will vanish when the State’s tourism industry shifts to the virgin beaches of Sindhudurg thanks to the strange location of Mopa Airport, which is closer to Maharashtra than to most parts of Goa. In addition, the Project has paved the way for other destructive policies and projects such as expansion of existing highways and addition of new highways. The nationalization of rivers, involving highly injurious dredging and the setting up of the intensely polluting and destructive coal hub at Mormugao are yet more instances of nefarious and destructive development. It is now very clear to the people of Goa that despite the hype generated by the BJP government, the real beneficiaries of such development are not the grassroot Goans. Goa has been cornered and taken over by a nexus of favoured industrialists and businessmen, facilitated by influential politicians and the new age consultants that are raking in the profits by churning out reports specifically tailored to promote the designs of this high and mighty vested class. In the 2017 elections, Goans thought that their votes would usher in a new government that would put an end to the destruction masquerading as development and display a fresh new approach to a model of development, that would truly be for the benefit of the people of our State. It is utterly reprehensible and unfortunate that the BJP steamrollered over the verdict of the people and through devious manipulation, edged itself into the seat of governance. It is a tragedy of our times that the regional parties and independent MLAs who are supporting the government today, seem to have conveniently forgotten that the people voted for them specifically on the basis of their election agenda that was anti BJP and anti Mopa centric development. Today, every MLA in the Assembly needs to clearly understand that the message behind the 2017 election verdict is certainly not in favour of Mopa Centric development, but a mandate for Goa & Goan Centric Development. Because both these are mutually exclusive and therefore cannot coexist. GFDO therefore appeals to each individual MLA to respect the verdict of the people of Goa and to scrap Mopa immediately so that the State can usher in a Model of development that is truly centred around Goa and Goans. For GOANS FOR DABOLIM ON Eremito Rebelo Convenor
