MOPA LAND
> From: [email protected] > Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 12:10:56 +0530 > To: > Subject: [Goanet] Where is alternative Govt. land? - oheraldo.in > > So, will someone tell Goa where this ‘alternative’ govt land is? > > July 10, 2013 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Kamat denotified Dabolim land meant for parking as govt supposedly had > alternative land... > Parrikar refuses to renotify the land on same grounds, adds he's awaiting AAI > requirements... > > > TEAM HERALD > [email protected] > > PANJIM: The case is simple: With a claim that there is > “alternative” land to the tune of approximately 70,000 square metres > available for parking, the then Congress government led by Digambar > Kamat de-notified 36,800 square metres falling in survey number. 8/1 in > Dabolim village valued at Rs 75 crore. After coming to power, the new > chief minister Manohar Parrikar said he would not renotify the land for > > > > > a similar reason -- that it was not needed for parking. > This begs the question: Where is the ‘alternate’ land that the > government claims is available for parking the core reason why the land, > was first denotified by the Kamat-led Congress regime and is now not > being renotified by the Parrikar-led BJP regime. > When first denotifiying the land, the then Revenue Minister Jose > Philip D’Souza and then Deputy Speaker Mauvin Godinho claimed that there > was 70,000 square metres available “opposite the airport and meant for > parking”. > In an earlier letter to Bernard Costa, the member secretary of the > Mormugao Planning and Development Authority, had claimed that there was a > total of 76,500 square metres of land marked as ‘transport/parking > areas” in the Outline Development Plan (ODP) of Mormugao. This was to be > made available. Despite contrary claims by the two former > representatives and the official, this land ---spread over survey > numbers -- 82/1, 83/1, 20/1, 21/1 and PT Sheet/Chalta No 162/1 of Vasco > city-- isn’t really available for parking. > The representatives were either knowingly bluffing the government, or simply > ignorant of the situation. > Located across the highway from the airport and spread over several > locations spread along the National Highway 17B next to the airport, > the land has way too many encumbrances to be made available for parking. > This land “opposite the airport and meant for parking is survey > numbers. 83/1 and 20/1 of Chicalim village. 83/1 is disputed land with > both the Government of India, Ministry of Defence as well as the > Comunidade of Chicalim laying claim to it. Survey number. 20/1 is land > belonging to the Ministry of Defence. Other land, including that of the > Vasco municipal area is too far away to make it feasible for parking. > Any attempt to acquire the land is being stoutly opposed by the Navy claiming > the land is already rightfully theirs. > An official at the secretariat, speaking to this paper on the > condition of anonymity stated that the land in survey No 83/1 at > Chicalim village panchayat is under dispute that whether it belong to > Navy or communidade. > “If the land belongs to the Navy, then would they hand over land > for parking when it has refused to part with land for a parallel > taxiway, in the past,” official said. > The official confirmed that Kamat on February 14, 2011, while > de-notifying the land, had directed PWD to initiate action to acquire > vacant land (70,000 sq mt) under emergency clause of Land > Acquisition Act. > When the government initiated the acquisition, the navy claimed > ownership of, 20/1, 83/1, it being being already acquired for Ministry > of Defence. Currently the land is owned by Indian Navy. > Costa, in whose possession the denotified land now stands, has > justified the denotification of the government land on grounds that > survey number 9/1 of Dabolim village, also belonging to him, could be > used for parking. However this piece of land is only 20,000 square > metres and will be able to cater to only around 200 cars. > It’s been more than two years, and yet the administration is still > grappling with suitable land next to the airport to accommodate parking. > As per information procured by Herald, government has no such land. At > least in hand. > On the basis of a petition, filed by one João Philip Pereira, the > High Court gave the government six months to identify and acquire the > “alternate” land it claimed was available for parking. With a court set > deadline fast running out (barely a month to go) there has been no move > to acquire any land. > With the Navy stoutly claiming that most of the land being eyed by > the government belongs to it, the earlier ‘supposedly available > alternate land’ is all but out of the government’s reach. > After assuming power, and being questioned by opposition legislator > Aleixo Reginaldo over his refusal to renotify the land, Parrikar simply > said “The state does not require de-notified land”. > “I have asked the AAI to give me in writing all of their > requirements and I will ensure that they are fully satisfied. Let them > come first,” Parrikar said adding that “Nothing has come from them in > writing” and that “a piece of land 870 meters away cannot be used for > parking, simply because no one will park his car 900 meters away and > walk,” Parrikar had then said. > South Goa Collector ND Agarwal, is in receipt of a letter from the > Airports Authority of India seeking that the land in survey No. 8/1 of > Dabolim village is renotified as government land. The letter has been > forwarded to the government, but there has been no action since. > Parrikar had also claimed that once the new terminal is > inaugurated, the old terminal can be converted into a multi-storeyed > parking lot, which isn’t quite on the government’s horizon right now ~ > at least, there's not been a peep out of it on this regard. > When contacted, Chief Secretary B Vijayan refused to comment saying: “I am > busy in series of meetings’. > So, will the govt be able to identify it, before it’s too late? Goa is > waiting for answers.
