the goan I network
MARGAO
The Goans for Dabolim Only (GFDO) has warned Tourism Minister and Dhargalim MLA Babu Ajgaonkar not to hoodwink the people of Pernem by flexing his muscles and emitting empty threats that he can “create hurdles for the airport” if his constituents did not get jobs at Mopa airport.
GFDO Convenor Fr Eremito Rebello has said that if Ajgaonkar was really sincere about getting employment for the people of Pernem, he would have first of all ensured that it would be legally binding upon GMR to hire locals by including a clause in the Concessionaire Agreement signed by his government with GMR, making employment of locals mandatory.
He, however, said that according to the Concessionaire Agreement, GMR has to publish the job advertisement in only two newspapers and is not obligated to check with the Employment Exchange for qualified jobless youth that it could potentially hire.
“Although GMR has agreed to give preference to people with 15 years domicile, it is in no way restricted from hiring others. Hence, it is clear that in the Concessionaire Agreement, there is no clause obliging GMR to give jobs to Goans. Babu Ajgaonkar therefore, cannot ensure employment for locals when there is no legal standing making it mandatory for GMR to do so,” Fr Eremito said.
He further sought to know that if Ajgaonkar is so concerned about the future of Pernem and its people, why did he not give the valuable and scarce Pernem land comprising 9.38 lakh square metres to Pednekars instead of handing it over free of cost to GMR at 2.5 FAR? “If the rule of thumb used by the CAG with respect to Delhi Airport is adhered to, then the earning potential of such land over the 60-year lease period, at an assumed average value of around Rs 25,000 per square metre for commercial land, works out to Rs 13,920 crore. Thus Babu Ajgaonkar and his government have squandered Pernem’s earning potential of Rs 13,920 crore in exchange for an amount of just Rs 150 crore paid by GMR as a one time concession fee that covers all the expenditure incurred for land acquisition, consultants fees, etc,” he added.
Fr Eremito claimed that according to the Concessionaire Agreement, GMR has been given complete autonomy over planning and development of the land, requiring only technical clearance from the TCP Board, adding there is no need even for the PDA to convert the zone.
He further said that Ayush Minister Shripad Naik also needs to clarify the basis upon which he has stated that Mopa Airport would “give a huge boost to the State’s tourism and economy”. “While passengers pay around Rs 250 as User Development Fee in Dabolim, which is one of the lowest in India, the Draft Financial Appraisal Report prepared by KPMG projects the UDF for Mopa Airport to be four times the amount “ around Rs 1,000 per passenger,” he said.
Leaving aside the financial burden of long distance fares due to Mopa’s inconvenient location at Goa’s northernmost tip, GFDO demanded to know whether Shripad Naik seriously believes that a steep increase in passenger UDF would encourage tourism as against quarter of Mopa’s predicted UDF being currently charged by the convenient and centrally located Dabolim Airport?
“BJP Ministers both Central and State, seem to specialise in trying to conjure a “feel good” factor out of thin air, without any basis, foundation, analytical study or rationale whatsoever,” Fr Eremito said, adding ‘these Ministers and their governments should remember that this same “shining”, “feel good” factor led to the downfall of another over confident and arrogant Central Government not so long ago’.
