CURCHOREM
Angry locals on Monday stopped two separate groups of defence personnel at Betul and forced them to turn back, warning them of repercussions if any inspection is conducted at the Betul plateau for the proposed DefExpo. While the first defence team had coincidentally gone to the same site at Betul to conduct a mock drill and had no clue about ongoing protests by Orixtt Porjecho Awaaz (OPA), the second team of officials had gone to inspect the site for the proposed DefExpo. Both defence groups, however, were forced to return after sensing an agitated group of locals, who were backed by Quepem MLA Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar, GPCC President Luizinho Faleiro, activist Fr Maverick Fernandes, OPA President Pressy Fernandes, OPA Secretary Freddy Fernandes, Quepem councillor Dayesh Naik, Betul Sarpanch Krishna Sawant Dessai, Deputy Sarpanch Sudhakar Joshi, Panch Delfi Barbosa and other NGO groups. About 200 locals from Naqueri, Betul, Quital, Velim, Khola, Fatorpa and nearby villages gathered at the road junction on Monday morning, which leads to the site proposed for the DefExpo and aero show, which is scheduled to be held from March 28 to 31. At about 10.30 am, five navy trucks, which included water tanker, reached the site, but the agitators stopped them from proceeding towards the Betul plateau. The agitators assumed that the military trucks had come for the site inspection and bluntly told them to go back, as they were objecting to the proposed DefExpo and aero show in Betul. The confused navy personnel explained to the locals that they had not come for any site inspection, but that their presence was merely to set up a tent at the site and to conduct annual mock drills. But sensing trouble from the locals, the naval trucks quickly dispersed from the site. Later in the afternoon, Quepem Mamlatdar Pratap Gaonkar along with Deputy Collector (South) Shankar Gaonkar visited the spot after sensing a law and order problem. Deputy Collector Gaonkar tried to pacify the agitated mob by explaining the letter sent to him by government authorities but the locals refused to pay heed to his explanations, even as a policeman video filmed the proceedings. OPA President Pressy Fernandes told the deputy collector that they were opposed to the DefExpo and aero show in Naqueri-Betul area, adding that they would not allow any defence official to conduct a site inspection. Fernandes and other agitated locals warned the deputy collector that if any development were to take place in secrecy and without the knowledge of local bodies and residents concerned, there would be a law and order problem and the government machinery would be held responsible. Later, the OPA members asked Deputy Collector Gaonkar to present a feasibility report and a DefExpo project report to the panchayat and the locals. Gaonkar assured the locals that he would convey the matter to higher authorities. Sources told The Goan that defence ministry officials had gone to Betul, but had deliberately stayed away from the agitation fearing public backlash. With authorities failing to pacify the agitators, five police jeeps along with a police van accompanied by the DySP and PI, besides vehicles carrying the mamlatdar, deputy collector, electricity and PWD officials, as well as a fire brigade vehicle, left the site.
