MAPUSA
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told the Goa Legislative Assembly that 40 per cent of people whose land had been acquired for the Mopa International Airport were still not paid their compensation due to the pending property dispute.
Sawant on Tuesday also said that 1,301 jobs were given to Pernem youth at the new airport.
“At least 40 per cent of the people from Pernem whose land was acquired for the Greenfield airport in Mopa are yet to be compensated as the matter is in the court. The matter is pending because of the internal property dispute among the landowners. So far, around Rs 46 crore has been paid as compensation amount while the balance is deposited in the court,” Sawant said.
The Chief Minister was responding to a question on land acquisition for Mopa airport raised by Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco during the Question Hour.
Sawant informed the House that the government had set up a fast-track court to expedite and settle the dispute on land ownership among the owners at the earliest.
He further pointed out that the government decided to increase the compensation amount thrice the original rate fixed in 2015.
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao urged the government to expedite the matter so that people who lost land to the airport can get compensated and if need be establish a super fast-track court to settle the matter.
According to Bicholim MLA Chandrakant Shetye, several people from Pernem lost their precious land to the airport and wondered whether the people were compensated by way of jobs at the airport.
The CM informed that so far around 2,365 people have got jobs at Mopa International Airport out of which 1,301 who got jobs were from Pernem.
The government in a written reply said that 81 lakh sq metres of land has been acquired for setting up the international airport at Mopa in Pernem.
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Pernemkars got peanuts in
return for their land: MLA
THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA
The two MLAs from Pernem taluka “ BJP MLA Pravin Arlekar (Pernem) and MGP MLA Jit Arolkar (Mandrem) “ expressed unhappiness over the employment dished out to the locals at the Mopa International Airport despite the villagers having sacrificed their land for the project.
“Our people have given their cultivable land for the construction of the airport and what did they get in return? Pernemkars got peanuts. Almost 100 to 200 people come to my door for jobs every day,” Arlekar said on the floor of the House.
According to Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar, people from Pernem have got menial jobs for the sacrifices they made by giving land for the airport.
“Our locals have got jobs as security guards, scanners etc. Pernemkars have given their land but they hardly got anything in return,” Arolkar said.
He further informed that some of the youth have undergone the aviation skill development scheme but have remained unemployed at home.
Ironically, both the MLAs belong to the ruling side.
