the goan I network
PANAJI
The principal Oposition party, the Congress, on Monday demanded an extension in the duration of the upcoming assembly session saying it will raise issues like drug raids, mining closure, regional plan, CRZ notification, and Mopa airport.
Speaking to the media after a Congress Legislature Party meeting, party leader Chandrakant Kavlekar said that the assembly should be increased to 18 days from the current 12.
“Twelve days are not sufficient to raise all issues. As per norms, this session should be for a minimum of 18 days. Under rules of the conduct of the business of the house under rule 259, the voting on the demand for grants requires not less than 15 days,” Kavlekar said.
They said they would write to the Speaker to try and increase the duration of the session.
On the CRZ issue, Kavlekar said that the new draft notification was solely to help the corporates at the cost of the traditional communities living along Goa’s coast.
“Goa is a small state and Goa’s tourism is based on free access to the beaches. This notification was discussed by the CLP and we feel that the central government, where the industrial lobby is strong, is working under their pressure. Here in Goa, several organizations, especially the fishermen have opposed it because it will destroy their livelihood and occupation,” Congress president Girish Chodankar who was present for the meeting said.
“By opening up the coastal zone for development, it will be the outsiders who will come and buy land here to build hotels and massive projects which will block access to the beaches. We request the central government to reconsider this draft notification. Congress will discuss this issue with the stakeholders and the fishermen to discuss the impact of this draft notification. Local governing bodies should be taken into confidence,” Chodankar added.
The monsoon assembly session begins on July 19 and will continue till August 3. The Assembly budget session was cut short from 22 days to just four days in February after Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar fell ill.
Must discuss discrepancies in Mopa figures: Sopte
PANAJI: Mandrem MLA Dayanand Sopte on Monday said he would raise issue of discrepancies in the figures quoted for Mopa project.
“The work on the international airport has started and we were even given a presentation on the MoU that the state has signed with GMR. The actual cost has been shown to us as Rs 3000 crore but to the lenders, they have shown it as Rs 1500 crore while obtaining a loan from the bank,” Sopte said.
“The approach road for the airport has been priced at Rs 300 crore. There are doubts over this cost. Is it a flyover? A flyover with six lanes? They have shown one figure and shown the bank another figure. In addition, who will construct this road? Is it GMR or PWD? Because when union minister Nitin Gadkari came to Goa and addressed the press, he said that the approach road would be built by PWD. If PWD is constructing the road, then why is GMR showing 300 crores as cost to build roads?” Sopte questioned.
“What is the actual investment of GMR in this project? If one does a basic calculation, it looks like just Rs 106 crores will be invested by GMR into this project,” he said.
