State BJP General Secretary Damu Naik addressing a press conference in the presence of BJP South Goa district president Sarvanand Bhagat and vice-president Prakash Velip. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
The newly appointed State BJP General Secretary Damu Naik has termed the DefExpo as a “boon” for South Goa and claimed it will help and promote economic growth.
On the other hand, the newly appointed BJP State vice-president Prakash Velip called on Quepem MLA to do a re-think about his opposition to the expo.
Addressing a joint press conference in Margao, Damu decried the attempt to “politicise” the issue and claimed that the DefExpo is in Goa's interest. “It will only add to Goa's development and further boost the cause of Goa as world acclaimed tourist destination,” Damu said. “This is not an aero show. It is only DefExpo for which registration has already begun,” Damu added.
Stating that the land on which the DefExpo is planned belongs to IDC and hence it's government property, Damu said the same will be cleared after the expo. He said the benefits will accrue to locals as well as hoteliers, even as he pegged the proposed turnover at the DefExpo at Rs 400 crore, with the participation of 881 companies.
Speaking at the press conference, Velip termed the event as concerning the self-respect of the country. He claimed the Quitol comunidade, neighbouring panchayats and locals to be supportive of the DefExpo.
Questioning Quepem MLA Chandrakant (Babu) Kavlekar for allowing the Quitol land, acquired by the IDC to remain fallow without any development, Velip also challenged Kavlekar to show as to what activity he has managed to get in Quepem during the tenure of the Congress government. He asked the Quepem MLA to do a re-think about his opposition to the expo.
