GFDO PRESS STATEMENT Referring to the brazen changes effected to the Mopa Request for Proposal (RFP) in favour of the participating bidders, GFDO said this was yet more evidence of the sellout of Goa by the Parsekar led BJP government. The bidders themselves have endorsed and pointed out what GFDO has been saying a long time ago – that the proposed second airport at Mopa is unfeasible and economically unviable given Goa’s aviation statistics and realistic projections as per the expert ICAO and ADPi reports. It is shameful that the Parsekar government, with all its galaxy of stellar consultants and highly remunerated resources retained and paid for by a bankrupt public exchequer, could not figure this out a long time ago. Despite this, the state government insists on brazenly ploughing ahead with this project at great loss to the State by waiving the Rs.150 crore upfront premium to be paid by the selected bidder, giving it a revenue holiday of eight years and making the long suffering Goan taxpayer bear the cost for the design and construction of the expressway connecting the airport to the National Highway at the cost of Rs.300 crore that was the bidder’s responsibility. Such calculated mismanagement of the State’s resources proves beyond doubt that vested interests in the then Parrikar and now Parsekar governments are the drivers of this destructive project for obvious reasons.
GFDO said that when the State is in the clutches of a massive spiralling debt trap, it is shocking and unacceptable that the government places such little value on community resources as to brazenly bulldoze through an unviable, economically unfeasible and unnecessary second airport that will heavily consume and drain Goa’s limited community resources without providing the requisite returns to the community of Goans. CM Parsekar and his team of consultants, as also his state cabinet and finance department which the Chief Minister ignored and sidelined while approving these changes, but who will share culpability with him for their consequences, are well aware of the serious and detrimental ramifications of the proposed Mopa Airport on the Goan tourism industry and its potential destructive impact on the economy of the State. Why should Goan tourism suffer just to fulfil Nitin Gadkari’s dream of servicing Maharashtra’s virgin beaches in Sindhudurg for which he is constructing a super expressway from Mumbai to Mopa? The cold blooded execution of such a project only demonstrates very clearly that this Government is not working for Goa’s interests. The last four and a half years of BJP rule, have been traumatic for Goa and Goans. It has seen the destruction of Goa’s environment, ecology and community resources on a scale that has been unprecedented. What has been even more alarming, is the Parsekar government’s track record of giving legal entry to potential illegalities through ruses like the IPB and the Tourism Master Plan among others, and even propagating the sell out of six precious Goan rivers without even any impact studies or a Regional Plan in place. GFDO appeals to the Government to put a moratorium on all such projects until proper studies and data have been collected and a Regional Plan set in place. For the assets and resources of our land cannot be finished by this generation, but must be judiciously utilised with consideration for the rights and needs of future generations. For GOANS FOR DABOLIM ONLY Eremito Rebello Ramkrishna Jalmi Convenor Member -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sent from my iPhone Hi Pratik, Forwarding GFDOs press note and hoping you will piblish it > > Thanks very much > Edwin pinto > > > 413, Br. Joseph Vaz Road, Sancoale, Goa – 403 710 Tel: 2550263 Mob: > 9822583844 > > October 10, 2016 > > PRESS STATEMENT > > Referring to the brazen changes effected to the Mopa Request for Proposal > (RFP) in favour of the participating bidders, GFDO said this was yet more > evidence of the sellout of Goa by the Parsekar led BJP government. The > bidders themselves have endorsed and pointed out what GFDO has been saying a > long time ago – that the proposed second airport at Mopa is unfeasible and > economically unviable given Goa’s aviation statistics and realistic > projections as per the expert ICAO and ADPi reports. It is shameful that the > Parsekar government, with all its galaxy of stellar consultants and highly > remunerated resources retained and paid for by a bankrupt public exchequer, > could not figure this out a long time ago. Despite this, the state government > insists on brazenly ploughing ahead with this project at great loss to the > State by waiving the Rs.150 crore upfront premium to be paid by the selected > bidder, giving it a revenue holiday of eight years and making the long > suffering Goan taxpayer bear the cost for the design and construction of the > expressway connecting the airport to the National Highway at the cost of > Rs.300 crore that was the bidder’s responsibility. Such calculated > mismanagement of the State’s resources proves beyond doubt that vested > interests in the then Parrikar and now Parsekar governments are the drivers > of this destructive project for obvious reasons. > > GFDO said that when the State is in the clutches of a massive spiralling debt > trap, it is shocking and unacceptable that the government places such little > value on community resources as to brazenly bulldoze through an unviable, > economically unfeasible and unnecessary second airport that will heavily > consume and drain Goa’s limited community resources without providing the > requisite returns to the community of Goans. > > CM Parsekar and his team of consultants, as also his state cabinet and > finance department which the Chief Minister ignored and sidelined while > approving these changes, but who will share culpability with him for their > consequences, are well aware of the serious and detrimental ramifications of > the proposed Mopa Airport on the Goan tourism industry and its potential > destructive impact on the economy of the State. Why should Goan tourism > suffer just to fulfil Nitin Gadkari’s dream of servicing Maharashtra’s virgin > beaches in Sindhudurg for which he is constructing a super expressway from > Mumbai to Mopa? The cold blooded execution of such a project only > demonstrates very clearly that this Government is not working for Goa’s > interests. > > The last four and a half years of BJP rule, have been traumatic for Goa and > Goans. It has seen the destruction of Goa’s environment, ecology and > community resources on a scale that has been unprecedented. What has been > even more alarming, is the Parsekar government’s track record of giving legal > entry to potential illegalities through ruses like the IPB and the Tourism > Master Plan among others, and even propagating the sell out of six precious > Goan rivers without even any impact studies or a Regional Plan in place. > > GFDO appeals to the Government to put a moratorium on all such projects until > proper studies and data have been collected and a Regional Plan set in place. > For the assets and resources of our land cannot be finished by this > generation, but must be judiciously utilised with consideration for the > rights and needs of future generations. > > For GOANS FOR DABOLIM ONLY > > > > > Fr. Eremito Rebello Ramkrishna Jalmi > Convenor Member > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
