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 teamher...@herald-goa.com 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.