Pro-Mopa airport agitators issue ultimatum to govt NT News Service Mapusa, Jan 29: The Mopa Vimanthal Nirdhar Samiti today issued an ultimatum to the state government that if it does not re-start work on the proposed international airport at Mopa within three days, it must not hold the people of Pernem responsible for the consequences. The ultimatum was issued at a massive meeting in Pernem town today evening. The Dhargalim Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, Mr Manohar Azgaonkar, who is the MVNS chairman, also threatened to block the national highway-17 as well as the Konkan Railway if the government persists with its inaction on Mopa. Going by today's speeches of various local leaders from Pernem, the zeal in favour of Mopa seemed fired by an earnest hope that the proposed international airport would not only eliminate unemployment from Pernem taluka but also open the floodgates of development for entire Goa. The meeting was dominated largely by BJP leaders but leaders of other political parties were also present. The North Goa BJP MP, Mr Shripad Naik, the leader of the opposition, Mr Manohar Parrikar, BJP MLAs like Mr Azgaonkar, Mr Laximikant Parsenkar, Mr Sadanand Shet Tanavade and others were present. Sharing the dais with them and lending their support to the cause were former Mandrem MLA, Ms Sangeeta Parab from the Congress, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party president, Mr Pandurang Raut, the Nationalist Congress Party secretary, Mr Ulhas Naik and Mr Ramesh Naik from the Shiv Sena and others. A notable absentee was the Pernem Congress MLA, Mr Jeetendra Deshprabhu.
It needs to be mentioned that the threat to block the NH-17 and the Konkan Railway came from Mr Azgaonkar towards the end of the meeting after some agitated shouting from the crowd, which, unsatisfied with the speeches, demanded to know a plan of action from the leaders. The Mandrem MLA, Mr Parsenkar then chipped in to issue the three-day ultimatum to the government. Expressing happiness at the all-party meeting, the North Goa BJP MP said that though Dabolim airport gets around 900 flights annually, this figure would triple in the next few years. There is no way to enlarge Dabolim airport and if Mopa does not happen, tourism and development of Goa will suffer. The South Goa MP Mr Alemao is mistaken in objecting to Mopa airport, said Mr Naik and also faulted the state government for referring the matter to the Central government saying that all permissions and formalities regarding Mopa have already been completed. The leader of the opposition reiterated that Dabolim couldn't be further upgraded. The capacity of Dabolim is 10-lakh passengers (arrivals and departures) and it is already operating beyond that capacity. He said it is accepted that removing the navy from Dabolim is not in the interest of India's defence and hence the naval airport of Dabolim will never be fully international. Mr Parrikar said that clubbed with the Mopa airport is a plan to construct a four-lane highway from Mopa to Canacona which would reduce the travel distance from Mopa to Canacona to about 90 minutes. Mopa would become not only an international airport for Goa but also a hub for exports for the entire Konkan belt, he said.