http://www.navhindtimes.com/stories.php?part=news&Story_ID=011930
Khalap to confront Rane today NT News Service Mapusa Jan 18: Hardening its stance in support of the Mopa international airport, the North Goa Mopa airport follow-up committee, chaired by former MP, Mr Ramakant Khalap will confront the Chief Minister, Mr Pratapsing Rane tomorrow to clarify if the Mopa land acquisition has actually been kept in abeyance. Congressmen in the North also threatened to resign en masse from the party if the state government succumbs to the pressure tactics of the South Goa MP, Mr Churchill Alemao and decides to scrap Mopa airport. Today's meeting of the follow-up committee at Mapusa was attended by Mr Khalap, the North Goa district Congress president, Mr Gurudas Gawas, former minister, Ms Sangeeta Parab, numerous Congress block presidents of North Goa, zilla panchayat members and a large number of Congressmen from North Goa. Since the last date to invoke section 6 of the Land Acquisition Procedure for Mopa airport expires on January 24, the follow-up committee will meet the Chief Minister tomorrow itself and urge him to expedite the process. Depending on his response, the committee will decide its future course of action, Mr Khalap said. All the 19 Congress blocks in North Goa have been advised to adopt resolutions in support of Mopa airport and a delegation of the follow-up committee will meet the Congress president, Ms Sonia Gandhi; the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and the Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Praful Patel, Mr Khalap informed. In what appears to be a hardening of pro-Mopa resolve to counter the anti-Mopa agitation by Mr Alemao, Congressman attending today's meeting threatened to resign en masse from the Congress if the state government succumbed to the bullying of the South Goa MP. But Mr Khalap sought to allay fears by urging the Congressmen not to accord undue importance to Mr Alemao, who he said was opposing the Mopa airport at the behest of the South Goa hotel lobby and certain other vested interests. He said Mr Alemao was frustrated at never getting a ministership at the Centre. Mr Khalap said Maharashtra and Karnataka were waiting to grab the opportunity to take the airport to their states if Goa decides to scrap it. There is no scope to enlarge Dabolim airport and exports of items ranging from computer peripherals to vegetables and flowers from Goa and neighbouring states would be routed through Goa because of the proposed Mopa airport. Mr Khalap said Mopa would usher in all kinds of infrastructure development such that travelling from Pernem to Canacona would be reduced to one hour. Ms Parab, sharing the dais with Mr Khalap, also urged the Congressmen not to pay attention to the detractors but to pursue the work of Mopa with single-mindedness. Mr Gawas said the follow-up committee was formed not just to ensure that Mopa airport would be built, but to ensure that it would be built quickly. The idea was supported by a large number of speakers that included the former MLA, Mr Dharma Chodankar, zilla panchayat members from Tivim and Mandrem, Mr Nyaneshwar Kambli and Mr Sridhar Mandrekar, Congress block presidents of Dhargal and Bicholim, Mr Bharat Bagkar and Mr Naresh Sawal and others. -- Cheers, Gabe Menezes. London, England