Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant led a delegation of Goa government leaders including Panchayats Minister and Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho and Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade to Delhi to meet various Union ministers and seek their support -- mainly financial -- for Goa’s upcoming hosting of the national games.
Among the meetings that were held, was a meeting with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a bid to get the Union Defence Minister to reduce the Navy’s control on constructions around the Dabolim Airport from the current 200 metres radius to a radius of 50 metres. According to the Chief Minister’s briefing no decision was taken, but another meeting will be held to further deliberate and decide on the issue.
The move to meet the Union Defence Minister to seek the restriction is a curious one especially since it comes after Bombay High Court at Goa has initiated contempt proceedings and issued notice to an Assistant Engineer of the PWD (Roads) seeking why contempt petitions should not be initiated against him since he failed to make a demolition squad available to raze buildings in the vicinity of the Dabolim airport that were built in violation of the airport code.
It is eminently clear that certain business interests are weighing on the Goa government’s mind to try and remove the Navy’s oversight over what can and cannot be built in the vicinity of the Dabolim Airport.
A 2015 Gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, stipulates that a NOC needs to be sought from the Operating Authority of a particular aerodrome prior to any construction within 20 kilometres from the runway. Since Dabolim is a military/ civil dual use airfield, the Indian Navy is the aerodrome operating authority and the requirement of NOC is being pursued only in accordance with MoCA guidelines. The purpose of the NOC is to examine the merit of each case and ensure no construction jeopardises flight safety in the interest of tourists, local population, etc. The restrictions are clearly not restricted only to Dabolim Airport but are uniformly applicable to all airports across the country.
In the past the Indian Navy has clarified that they are not “restricting development” but are instead giving priority to aviation safety at Dabolim which is of paramount concern and cannot and should not be compromised. The Navy has in the past even gone ahead to clarify that only the core area around Dabolim airfield and the Approach path of runways would thereafter require NOC.
Unsatisfied with even that, the local business interests, as reported by the media including The Goan, showed how a local panch member and NGPDA member has personal pecuniary interests in allowing the dangerous buildings to continue to remain standing despite lack of permissions from the Naval authorities. Minister Mauvin Godinho too has made statements that the Navy wants to “control Goa” through the backdoor.
If it isn’t already abundantly clear, it should be stressed once again, that the personal pecuniary interests of politicians should never be prioritised at the cost of aviation safety and the safety of the country’s defence establishments. Using state machinery to lobby for personal business interests should be shunned at all levels and the Goa government’s demands to reduce Navy’s oversight on construction around Dabolim should be withdrawn forthwith.
