Stating that the farmers from Pernem taluka are neither attracted to the
compensation from the government towards their land, nor interested in their
rehabilitation the MOPA VIMANTAI PEEDIT XETKARI SAMITI (MVPXS), an
association of the Mopa airport affected farmers on Saturday said that it
would not allow the government to acquire their land for the proposed Mopa
International Airport.
Secretary of MVPXS, Sandeep Kambli, addressing a press conference in the
city stated that the Warkhand, Cansarvarnem and Chandel villages in Pernem
taluka have 24 lakh sq. metres, 13 lakh sq. metres and 8 lakh sq. metres of
land under cultivation respectively and the governmnent now proposes to
acquire the same for the airport proejct.
"The farmers from these villages, who for generations together are
cultivating paddy, besides growing cashew, mango and areca nut crops, are
just not interested in selling their land" Kambli added, maintaining that
the government had already turned farmers around the state incompetent
through its populist schemes by providing them with monthly doles and the
farmers from Pernem don't desire the same fate.
"We know how important it is to grow crops and vegetables, especially now
that the central government is all set to reduce the food grain quota of the
state" he quipped. "not a single farmer from the MPVXS has taken a single
rupee of the govrnmetn compensation. When there are 2-3 petitions pending in
the courts, the question of taking money doesn't arise. We are not ready to
sell our fields" he said.
It was informed that the governemtn has already acquired 74 lakh sq. metres
of land to construct Mopa airport and needs another 10 lakh sq. metres land
for construction of a special approach raod to the airport. Kambli also
alleged that the governemtn is tryi8ng to acquire the land by ook or crook,
by going to the extent of even adding names of tenants on I and XIV forms,
even though these tenants have no supporting documents.
Speaking further, he said that the report of the ICAO suggests that the Mpa
INternational Airport would not be sustainable without other ancillary
proejcts like a cyber city, the Keri jetty, sports city at Dhargal, a
starred hotel and golf course at Reracol and so on. "All these
infrastructureal proejcts will damage the eco sensitive PErnem taluka
including the Mopa village, which is a part of the Western Ghats" he
mentioned, noting that deforestation of the Mopa plateau as well as
surrounding slopes will be dangerous for Goa's environment.
Finally, Kambli strongly came out against another group "People for Mopa
International Airport" which has demanded Mopa to be made the only
international airport by handing over Dabolim airport to the Indian Navy as
a defence base. "This group is supported by a political force and consists
of people with vested interests" he alleged, maintaining that the residents
from Salcete are rationally thinking peple and therefore the Pernem farmers
have joined their opposition to the proposed Mopa International Airport.
"However, we don't interpret the issue as a North Goa-South Goa conflict" he
concluded.
