Dear Frederick Elvidio gave permission to send his article to Goanet. Will, you please consider and publish it? Thanks
Stephen Dias GOANS, OPPOSE MOPA AIRPORT RESOLUTELY Elvidio Miranda The Goa (Mopa Airport Development Authority) Bill, 2018 is totally unacceptable in a democracy and can be termed as a coup to stifle the democratic rights to protest and oppose the project which has not even received the assent of the residents of Mopa, who many of them have been forcibly divested of their land without even giving them a fair price for their land. Legal structures have been razed down. If the people feel that their legislators have let them down they should vehemently oppose this project. Under such a scenario, the Mopa Vimantal Pidit Xetkari Samiti should stand firm and assert their rights not to succumb to pressure by state government which has passed this draconian Bill even without a simple majority of 21 legislators, (only 19 legislators have voted for this bill) when under normal circumstances, such a Bill should have had the assent of at least two-thirds majority of the House. The residents of Mopa have to take heart from the opposition by the people of the Sterlite Copper plant in Tamil Nadu in which thirteen people laid down their lives and has brought this project belonging to Vedanta group to a screeching halt. The Goa For Dabolim Only (GFDO) has also to step up their opposition to the Mopa airport using all available means even by challenging the validity of this Bill in the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court. The people of South Goa have to join forces so as to protect themselves and their interests, which will severely affect their livelihood, resulting in sufferings for them after the airport is built, akin to what has happened due to the Konkan Railway in Goa. A signature campaign has to be initiated by the people of the south who will bear the brunt of the airport coming up at Mopa. The GFDO has also revealed that GMR will be the major beneficiary of the project and neither the government of Goa nor the people of the North Goa, and those of the South will regret from this airport project. It will be another case of a private company being the beneficiary of land being gifted to them at a throwaway price by the government. Most affected people have to take their fight against the government. The Federation of Rainbow Warriors have also to step up their opposition to the felling of 54,676 trees which is going to be the largest massacre of trees for any single project in the state of Goa's history. The nod of the National Green Tribunal and the High Court of Bombay in Goa have not been sanctioned. It is thus an illegal project, thrust upon the people. It would be suggested that all opposing organizations, including those who have come together in opposition to the project demanding Rs. 6,000/- per square meter as against what they contend as being Rs. 1500/- as the market value of the land in Mopa. The villagers of Mopa, Casarvarnem, Chandel, Varconda, Amberem and Ugem are going to be divested of at least 7 lakh square meters of precious land known for its bio-diversity of exotic flora and fauna, which will forever be rendered extinct. It would not have been right until this draconian Bill was passed to say that the illnesses of our legislators is the punishment by nature on them for having trespassed and disrespected nature, but under the circumstances it would be right to say that nature will exact its revenge on those colluding to destroy natural beauty of Mopa and thus the clamour of those affected will have a lasting impact on those trying to indulge in large scale destruction of nature.
