Press Note
Govt connives with builders to strangulate Dabolim Airport Goans For Dabolim Only (GFDO) has come across incrimnating documents and other evidence regarding a very vital issue concerning the Dabolim Airport, namely the imminent loss of vital space for parking and other city side facilities. The serious nature of the issue, and the tremendous impact on Goan economy and society to follow, have forced us to place these documents and their contents before the people of Goa. On 12th May 2006, the government of Goa committed to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to make land available on the city side of the airport. The land acquisition proceedings for parking, offices, cargo and other city-side facilities were started in 2009, and section 6 was also notified in 2010. But suddenly and surprisingly, on 16/3/2011, the congress led government de-notified the land acquisition, thereby depriving Dabolim Airport of the much needed land. The AAI, which has committed Rs. 600 crores to build a new terminal, submitted desperate letters in February and March 2011, pleading with the Goa government to save Dabolim airport by continuing with the acquisition, but to no avail. The denotification of this strategically vital land was decided in a meeting chaired by the then Chief Minister on 14/02/2011 along with Mr. Mauvin Godinho and Mr. Jose Philip D'Souza, based on a submission made by the land owner that alternate land is available for the parking and other facilities. It is shocking to note that this decision was taken even though the AAI had strongly objected during the same meeting, warning that no such alternate land exists. Two years have passed since the denotification, yet the government is still searching for this mysteriously untraceable land, while constructions are coming up at unbelievable speeds on the denotified lands. Goans need to know why the present government led by Shri Manohar Parrikar has been a mute spectator to this strangulation of Dabolim airport, while it has been rushing through with the Mopa project at breakneck speed. The arbitrary and misconceived decision to denotify the acquisition of these vital lands cannot have any other obvious motive but to help builders, who are now speedily constructing buildings on the denotified lands. The malafide act of the government may also be seen to have a hidden motive to strangulate Dabolim Airport by depriving it of space essential for expansion, thereby creating an artifical case for Mopa airport. In short, by denying this piece of just 36,800 sq m land to Dabolim Airport, our government is attempting to coerce Goa into squandering 82 lakh sq-m land for a new airport at Mopa. The imminent commissioning of the second terminal at Dabolim airport will require parking and other city side facilities in the immediate future, for which the land bearing survey no 8/1, Dabolim village will have to be acquired inevitably. It is therefore prudent that the government stops dilly-dallying on this matter of grave importance to our State, and forthwith stops all ongoing constructions on the land meant for the parking and other essential facilities for Dabolim airport. We also demand that the said land be acquired without any further delays and the parking and other critical airport infrastructure be created at the earliest.
