Close Dabolim, build 'only' Mopa; demand Pednekar
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 18 July 2013 19:13 IST
PMIA leaders addressing media in Panaji
People of Pernem have bounced back on controversial air port issue, demanding to close down Dabolim air port and have only Mopa air port.
“Two international air ports cannot survive in a small state of Goa”, said Devendra Prabhudesai, convenor for People for Mopa International Airport (PMIA).
Addressing a press conference along with his whole team in the capital city today, he also attacked political and religious leaders of Salcete playing at the hands of five star hotel lobby of the coastal belt in the South.
While advising the leaders of Goans Only for Dabolim (GOD) not to tell people of Pernem what is good for their development, the PMIA also demanded that the Dabolim air port be handed over to Naval authorities in order to strengthen national defense.
Ramesh Naik, leader of Shiv Sena, asked why the issues like Konkan Railway or air port are brought up only when elections are close.
“Is it a political game by disgruntled elements like Churchill Alemao and Vijay Sardesai to destabilize the government”, asked Naik.
Prabhudesai clarified that PMIA is a non-political forum which would welcome all the political parties and other organisations to be part of it, without falling prey to any political game.
While denying the charge that land owners are behind their agitation for Mopa, Prabhudesai however said they do not mind if Mopa air port benefits lobbies of builders or five star hotels.
When asked for their opinion on freezing land around Mopa, he quipped: “we welcome it, but we would neither demand it nor object to buying land around Mopa.”
According to him, the Mopa air port would fulfill long-awaited dream of Pernem people to develop the neglected taluka.
“The people opposing Mopa basically don’t want backward areas like Pernem to develop”, charged Daniel D’Souza, ex-sarpanch of Harmal.
Supporting his contention, Morjim sarpanch Dhananjay Shetgaonkar said Mopa air port would provide jobs as well as allied businesses to Pernem people, who have nothing else but agriculture for their survival.
Adding to this, Prabhudesai said Mopa air port would provide not less than 7000 jobs, while demanding 90 per cent of it only for the people of Pernem.
Listing out several job opportunities, he said the international air port would require 1000 security guards, 800 persons for cleaning and mopping, 700 attendants and not less than 800 taxis.
He also said the air port would bring five star hotels in Pernem, which would create more jobs and business opportunities.
The PMIA leaders also said they did not mind if neighbouring Maharashtra also benefits from Mopa air port.
“We are not secessionists like the Salcete leaders but believe in nationalist spirit”, said Prabhudesai, while stating that there is nothing wrong if Maharashtra also benefits while developing economically backward areas like Pernem.
PMIA secretary Prasad Shahapurkar said the organisation would form village committees headed by sarpanch, after which they would move out of Pernem to mobile public support for Mopa air port.
IN reality ,Goans are demanding good schools, good hospitals, good roads, continuous electricity, 24x7 water,better safety & security, legal Mining, Better governance at Local & state level,Less corruption,less concretization etc
On the other hand some MLA`s are demanding another Airport where they have & expand their corrupt land/ financial interests.
Most Politicians have become wealthy through Corruption and not through a desire for the welfare of Goa & its Citizens.
I wont be suprised if the fathers of these so called leaders supporting Mopa were also supporting,the merger of Goa with Maharashtra.Fully agree with the views of Gajendra Tari.Are baba,keep your fertile lands for the Generations of Tomorrow.Are the people of Pernem only fit to work as SECURITY GUARDS/CLEANING AND MOPPING ATTENDANTS?...Or TAXI DRIVERS?Are the so- called leaders targeting this type of Jobs for their people?
Wow! So many prophets of doom on this forum painting a scenario of disaster and destruction for Goa in the event of Mopa airport construction. Wonder what is the rational basis for such speculations, or these are just out of personal grudge, religious and political bias, and figment of self-imagination.
MOPA WILL BRING DISASTER TO WHOLE GOA. IT WILL TAKE THE LIVELIHOOD OF THE GOAN FARMERS. IT WILL TAKE THE DABOLIM AIRPORT OF THE GOAN TRAVELERS. MOPA WILL CLOSE THE DABOLIM AIRPORT. MOPA WILL CLOSE THE GOA FARMING.
@Gajendra Tari,
I never knew so many wonderful things exist around an airport.
Are such amenities and luxuries existing around Dabolim airport too?
Mopa will not only close the Dabolim Airport but also Mopa will make Goans to go hungry with the Drought which will occur by losing the fertile land and farmers. Mopa will take huge fertile land, which will be very bad for Goa. The tragedy happened to the people of Khedernath can happened to the people of Goa, if Mopa starts. Stop Mopa. Save Goa.
I am planning to organize a mass opinion in Pernem for the development of locals. I would request Mr. Devendra Prabhudeasi to help me as I strongly feel our views and opinions are exactly similar.
I suggest that the the proposed airport could be just a small part of this development and that in order to attract and retain the 'tourists' within Pernem and nearby Sawantwadi we must have activities like:
1. Massage parlors like they have in Thailand ( for all sexes)
2. Import best commercial sex workers from sex districts of Pattaya, Bangkok and Amsterdam to train young and old local women to generate employment.
3. 100 'Service centres' in different villages providing pimping services; each centre with 10 ' attendants' who would be trained in a proposed institute at Parsem named PMIA ( Pimping Management International Academy, so that every village gets the benefit) . This will provide gainful employment of at least 1500 youth , both males and females.
4. Gambling dens, dance bars, porno theatres, ( shiv saininks who control similar activities in Maharashtra can be special consultants).
5. All the current educational institutes in Pernem must be closed down to make way for new ones teaching the above curriculum.
6. Encourage locals to sell their land to non Goans and settle down in various corners of Maharashtra.
7. Chain of 10 five star hotels in Pernem and Sawantwadi.
8. build superhighways from Belgaum, Kolhapur, Solapur and other mofussil areas of Maharashtra to Mopa to encourage people from there to fly overseas.
9.Declare Pernem as the capital of Goa due to its proximity to the new proposed airport.
10. Identify and recommend 10 ' social workers' from Pernem assuming leadership of Pro Mopa propaganda for Bharat Ratna award. ( Manohar Parrikar's name could be right on top for providing a completely fresh and novel methodology and syllabus to the age old business of self styled pimps.
Who are secessionists and who are pro only time will tell.
Also Goans have seen this during opinion poll of Goa and has preserved Goa for Goans only...
We Goans must debate this whole issue and settle it once and for all.
This group of People are really supported and sponsored by Politicians/builder lobby/and Maharastra politicians. Where they were sleeping all the time? What guarantee is there that only Goans will get job??? Till today it has never happened in the History of Goa. How much Dabolim is developed after having Airport for so many years?? Development is just an excuse. Fooling and cheating people is the game. Navy illegally occupied Dabolim. We already also gave them our island how much more they want. In the interest of Goa they should shift their base to Karwar Sea bird. People have not requested this Airport only demanded by the Politicians to have their land developed not Pernem Developement. Airport should be centrally located and Mopa is not centrally located, Development should benefit All Goans not only one particular Pernem people only. Lets have Airport in all Taluka's. better development. Canacona people needs 3 and half hour to reach Mopa...Dabolim equi-distant for every one. Any Govt which does not do good for its state like Congress Govt. should be overthrown or defeated. Dont fool people Please. Upgrading
Dabolim is the best solution. Goa is in the mess because of Mining Dont add Mopa to it. Mopa Airport is against Goa and Goans. M>O>P>A Maharashtra Occupied Politicians/People Airport on Goa;s Land. I remember of Opinion Poll how Goa was saved of getting merged with Maharashtra by our Goan Politicians only. A sort of same situation has come on Goa now. Peace is more important than developement. It is better to have peace and less deveopment then to live in misery and desperation all the time. . Konkan Railway may connect Goa to whole India but affter that Goa;s peace is gone. All migrant culprits are arrested in Goa's Railway Stations. May God bless our Peddnekars bhav/bhoinneo and enlighten them.
This pro Mopa group seems to be a puppet in the hands of land mafia. Statements by its convener Mr. Devendra Prabhudesai clearly reflect that this group is least bothered about Goa and is blatant supporter of their rich and wealthy masters who feed them with some stupid 'data' on the proposed development.
They want 80 percent Pednekars to be attendants, sweepers, cleaners, taxi drivers and other manual labor. What a dream of development they are selling to the innocent masses!
In Goa everyone and anyone forms a group to oppose and propose issues and gets a wide publicity in local media.
What a self destructive man this Prabhudesai is! He is out to justify the rape of Goa. And if all he wants is money and jobs for the locals irrespective of the means, he should request Monu to open casinos and brothels in Pedne.
And everyone had though that it was only the monopoly of the Congress to create and project political pimps as messiahs of development. Now BJP seems to be one step ahead.
I hope average Pednekar wakes up and does not support these mediocre agents. They are under the spell of विनाशकाले विपरीत बुद्धी.
@Steven , Kepem;
What has opinion poll got to do with this issue? Or your mentality simply doesn't allow you to think beyond MGP and opinion poll. Grow up man.