Hotelier Serafino Cota
MARGAO
Cavelossim-based small hotelier Serafino Cota, who along with small and medium hoteliers had initiated the movement against Mopa airport exactly 20 years ago, has said the agitation against Mopa could not take off successfully for want of support and commitment from the stakeholders as well as from the political class.
Serafino recalled how the small and medium hoteliers had met at his Hotel Dona Samaria in July 2002 to discuss the Centre’s plan to set up the Greenfield Airport at Mopa.
“We were all worried about the very existence of tourism in down South if Mopa becomes a reality. Hence, we decided to do something by submitting a memorandum to the government. The owner of Varca-based Renaissance resort Sunder Advani lent his support to our movement. He accompanied us to Delhi to hand over a memorandum to then Union Civil Aviation Minister Sharad Yadav,” he recalled.
Serafino, however, pointed out that while the small and medium hoteliers decided to take the battle forward under the banner of Hoteliers Association of South Goa, the movement did not evoke that much response from other stakeholders. “While the politicians launched their movements, we stakeholders explored the possibility of filing a petition in the Supreme Court around 2013-14 against the new airport. Somehow, the petition did not materialize for want of backing from the stakeholders.”
