Dabolim - Mopa contraversy ! Here is an English translation of a Marathi Article on MOPA written by Vice ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Admiral Damle (Retd) PVSM,AVSM,VSM,NM.This article was published -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- some time back in The Daily Tarun Bharat in Marathi ! Here is the traslation ! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Currently there has been lot of hue & cry, discussions, disagreements & strong feelings expressed regarding the MOPA Airport issue. People like me who by the virtue of having served in the Aviation wing of Indian Navy & having commanded the air station INS Hansa & having been the Flag Officer of Naval Aviation & of Goa Naval Area has been aware of most of the problems & implications of this issue. I have had an opportunity to discuss the same with the government officials during my 40 years of service of which nearly 25 I have spent in Goa Naval air station. At times the statements made by the politicians, including the honourable Chief Minister add to the confusion of a layman. The crux of the matter is, in spite of current expansion & the fully operational existing Dabolim Airport ,’is Dabolim airport alone not adequate for Goa?’ Those who are for MOPA, the main reason being given by them is, that Navy has not been making the necessary land available required for the civil aviation. As a knowledgeable authority I have no hesitation is saying that this excuse is an absolute lie & along with politicians Airport Authority Of India (AAI) is mainly responsible for promoting this belief. It is crystal clear that if MOPA Airport comes up, AAI’s ‘interest’ will be very well nurtured. If at all Government of Goa finally decides to go ahead then they must make an announcement that the airport will be jointly managed by government &private organizations & then see the reaction of AAI. If the proposed airport is jointly managed as suggested then it will be beneficial to Goa as the revenue generated will be coming to the Goa government treasury alone.Kochi international airport is managed in similar fashion & is proved to be very efficient Airport. But of course, first it needs to be thoroughly studied with total impartial unbiased outlook if Goa really needs another airport. This is my sincere effort to give the actual facts to the citizens of Goa.It is a fact that two decades ago the navy was able to expand the runway for their requirement, only because the civil authorities made the land available to the Navy. Eventually it helped the government of Goa as the bigger aircrafts could land & hence the tourism in Goa got a boost. For facilitating the landing of civil flights ,Navy subsequently did make the land available to AAI. The ongoing extension & also the multi-storey vehicle parking facility being constructed on the land which was given by Navy to AAI.The need of an hour is to study if the land made available by the navy has been utilised in proper manner & not keep making allegations against Navy.On the existing land a huge cargo complex too has been built.It needs to be examined if this facility is used optimally & appropriately. All this development would not have been possible without the co operation by the Indian Navy.However how many of us know that not only the land given has not been properly utilised.Technical department of Indian airlines (now AI) has been misusing the land, no modern machinery has been inducted to ease the movement of the aircrafts,some land has been used for the family accommodation instead of using it for aviation requirement.Fortunately the then minister for civil aviation Shri Shripad Naik intervened on time, else the situation would have been worse. Also some other land which was meant for the vehicle parking at the airport has been De notified by earlier government due to the politician builder nexus.One can see the residential complex being built in this land..It is well known how this prime property is now being utilised by the politician & the builder.The present government has announced that they will notify the property & use it for vehicle parking at the airport.But they too know it very well that this was just one of those proclamation which was not to be taken seriously due to vested interest of the government authorities.The land is being developed by the politician cum builder (or more appropriately the other way)about which I need not elaborate. Sad part is now people are being misled by shouting how only naval land is appropriate for this car park ,but even going to the extent of saying that the land does not belong to the Navy.Unfortunately the whole system of land acquisition & it’s process of getting the conveyance etc. is so faulty & ambiguous that ,although the land is with navy for many years ,in some cases there is no documental evidence.Some part of the land , some of which navy has &some of it has been encroached which belonged originally to the communidad. Earlier Naval authorities,not being goan origin, failed to understand this system, which was only in Goa.Hence either Navy has taken the matters to the court or let go some part of the land. Some time back the honourable C.Mmented that AAI has not yet asked for the parking place. I fail to understand ,if at all place for parking the vehicles for passengers is made available why should it be given to AAI ? In any case AAI is least concerned with this problem. Those who travel by air are very well aware of the maze one negotiates when one needs to be dropped or received at the airport.In fact Goa police need an appreciation for handling the clumsy situation. This could have been avoided if AAI had not kept the parking charges so high, while making their land available for parking.Hope the new parking facility is made available at the reasonable rates when ever it comes up.Else people will still prefer to park along the higway,where ever they can.In any case with one ring of the cell phone it is easy to reach the traveller & fetch him. From time to time Navy has suggested measures and useful suggestions so as to enable smooth functioning of the civil flights 24X7 .They have had discussions with various authorities , Hence instead of blaming the Navy,what is needed is a proper deep selfless study,discussions with experts,dialogue with the citizens whose land irrespective of agricultural or non agricultural needs to be acquired.It is certainly not in the interest of citizens to misuse the Goan land.Hence I sincerely appeal the government to thoroughly examine all pros & cons of the need & benefits to the state of Goa, of second airport.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Jul 2013 12:27:15 +0000
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