House hits turbulence

North-South Divide delayed decision on Mopa airport: CM

Section 6 of Land acquisition within 7 days

Steering Committee to be formed



BY A GT REPORTER

PANJIM: Chief Minister Digambar Kamat created a flutter in the House yesterday as he pinned the ten-year delay to kick-start land acquisition proceedings for Mopa international airport to the North-South divide in the state.
Amidst vociferous protests and demands for explanation from opposition leader Manohar Parrikar and former Finance Minister Dayanand Narvekar, the Chief Minister referred to the High Powered Committee and its decisions in a bid to deflect attention from the North-South controversy. Add to that, a meager budgetary provision of Rs 30 lakhs for the project, made the opposition charge the government with adopting a lackadaisical approach on this project.
The current status
The proposal for acquisition of land for the international airport at Mopa and approach road has been submitted by the Special Land Acquisition Officer, Mopa through the Collector for notification under Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act.
The government has not floated Expression of Interest (EoI), letter of intent or any other advertisement for undertaking construction of the airport. Matters related to the actual construction of the airport have to be decided by the High Powered Steering Committee under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister.
Meetings of this Committee were last held during the tenure of former Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane and the last such meeting took place in September 2005. Subsequently, no meeting took place as the government was awaiting the report of the Six Member Committee constituted by the office of the Prime Minister to look into various aspects of the international airport at Mopa.
This Committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister submitted its report in June 2008 to the Prime Minister. Thereafter, despite a file being moved for constituting the Steering Committee under the new government, the Chief Minister had remarked that the matter should be kept pending, claims the written reply.
CM’s promise in House
Yesterday, the Chief Minister vowed to publish Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act within seven days and informed that Steering Committee is ‘Being Formed’. He announced that the aforesaid Steering Committee would comprise of local MLAs and local people.
According to the Chief Minister, the procedure for land acquisition proceedings for Mopa airport was completed much earlier, notification was also issued but was allowed to lapse.
“There arose a dispute between North and South and the land acquisition proceedings lapsed,” opined Kamat. Explaining the seriousness of the government’s intention of having Mopa airport, Kamat said the Urgency Clause for land acquisition was invoked precisely for this reason.
The delay, Kamat explained, was due to the formationn of the HPCC by the central government. “It was only after it was decided that Mopa is a must in addition to Dabolim that land acquisition proceedings commenced with an Urgency Clause,” added the Chief Minister.
The land to be acquired, Kamat informed, was in conformity and as per the recommendations of ICAO. “The land acquisition proceedings will be over immediately and money will be made available,” assured the Chief Minister.
The debate in House
Earlier, setting the ball rolling on the delay in executing of Mopa international airport was former Finance Minister Dayanand Narvekar.
His points of debate revolved around three aspects: the inordinate delay on this project even as the government of Maharashtra has declared a special package of Rs 5,000 crore for tourism development in the neighbouring Ratnagiri district.
Narvekar made a mention about Maharashtra government’s plans of constructing an airport at Chipi in Konkan. He also sought explanation on the North-South divide mentioned by the Chief Minister.
Opposition leader Manohar Parrikar, Mandrem MLA Laxmikant Parsekar also supported Narvekar in demanding explanation from the Chief Minister on the ‘North-South divide’.
Parsekar pointed out to the utter lack of seriousness of the government on Mopa when he pointed out that area in addition to that mentioned by the Chief Minister for acquisition is required for the airport.
“The government has decided on some 1 crore square metres area as requirement for Mopa international airport,” informed Parrikar.



All about airport members of high powered committee

Chairman: Chief Minister

Members: All three Goan MPs, Joint Secretary (Civil Aviation), Chief Secretary

The HPCC submitted its report in July 2008 to Prime Minister

Total land proposed to be acquired: 749 hectares (for international airport)

Land for approach road: 84 hectares

Land acquisition proceedings u/s 4 and 17 (Urgency Clause) of Land Acquisition Act invoked

Section 6 of Land Acquisition Act within seven days

Possible date for declaration of award: Early 2010