head:
DefExpo: Parsekar
rules out rethink
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strap:
Says govt open for discussions to clear apprehensions
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CHIEF MINISTER: ON FIRM GROUND
* Government has not signed any lease document with the Defence Ministry to hand over the land in question on a permanent basis
* Lease deeds have to be vetted by the government; Officers cannot take a policy decision on allocation of land to anyone
* I fail to understand why there’s opposition in certain quarters for the DefExpo when it is being
proposed by our own son, Manohar Parrikar
* It appears that attempts are being made to misguide the people; We will take a call on the issue after the Expo
* Neither the land will be handed over to the Defence Ministry permanently nor the Expo will continue forever
* The infrastructure set up for the Expo can be certainly used to hold events in future. Some events from the North can be held at Betul
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THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO
While saying that his government is open for discussions on the controversial DefExpo at Betul-ÂNaqueri plateau, Chief Minister, Laxmikant Parsekar has firmly ruled out the possibility of any reÂthink by his government on holding the Defence Expo in 2016.
He, however, has hastened to add that the government is willing to do a review of the project next year, even as he said that his government has not signed any lease document with the Defence Ministry to hand over the land in question on a permanent basis.
The chief minister told The Goan during his visit to the MCC hall, Margao on Saturday that there will be no reÂthink on the government decision to grant IDC land to the Defence Ministry to hold the DefExpo in 2016, but added “the government will take the necessary call the following year depending on the success of the show”.
Referring to the information granted by the government under RTI that the government will allot the land to the Defence Ministry permanently, the chief minister said that officers cannot take a policy decision on allocation of land to any one. "Lease deeds have to be vetted by the government. We have not even signed an agreement with the Defence Ministry to hand over the land. No officer can take a decision to allot on temporary or permanent basis. It is the government that will take a call on such issues”, Parsekar said, while referring to the controversy over the government’s decision to hand over the Betul-ÂNaqueri land to the Defence Ministry permanently.
“I fail to understand why there’s opposition in certain quarters for the DefExpo when it is being proposed by our own son, Manohar Parrikar, who is presiding over the Defence Ministry. “It appears that attempts are being made to misguide the people on the issue. Neither the land will be handed over to the Defence Ministry permanently nor the Expo will continue forever. We will take a call on the issue after the Expo”, he said.
The chief minister further said that whatever infrastructure set up for the DefExpo can be used to hold events in the future. 'The infrastructure set up for the DefExpo can be certainly used to hold events in the future. Some of the events from the North can be certainly held at Betul, he said.
The DefExpo has come under strong opposition from not just the residents of Betul-Naqueri, but the neighbouring residents of Morpilla, Velim and Fatorpa at their respective gram sabhas.
