The issue of parking land at Dabolim Airport has become evenmurkier as fresh pieces of evidence emerge. While former Chief MinisterDigambar Kamat’s government went about de-notifying public land acquired forDabolim Airport parking to Bernard Costa’s family, the current government hasfollowed it up with insertion of the name of Communidade of Chicalim in theland belonging to Ministry of Defence, near the airport, clandestinely. We willshow you how. The same land has now been suggested as an alternative to theland for parking at the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
Investigations by The Goan reveal that while Chief MinisterManohar Parrikar may be talking of re-notification of Survey No 8/1 in Chicalimthat belongs to Bernard Costa and family, his government is least interested indoing so. In fact as CM Parrikar himself pointed out to The Goan (seeinterview) “There is land available in areas outside Navy control. I will workit out”.
Three of the lands inquestion, the 26331 sq. mtr of Survey No 83/1, 6932 sq. mtr of Survey No 20/1and 4625 sq. mtr of Survey No. 13/1 all opposite to the airport wereexclusively under Ministry of Defence (Indian Navy) possession since March 5,1969. The land was acquired from Communidade of Chicalim. The acquired land wasnot only possessed but also mutated in MoD’s name and was not even partitioned.Form I and XIV as recent as January 2009 show them as the sole owner of thisland.
However on July 20 earlier this year, Additional Collector ISouth Goa Narayan Navti in an ex-parte decision, included the name ofCommunidade of Chicalim as a co-owner. The move, clearly to dispute the titleof the land acquired under Land Acquisition Act 1894 in 1969. What Navti didwas declare all the lands that Indian Navy (MoD) had not cordoned off with awall. The gameplan “ either partition the land and acquire the Communidadehalf, or open it for re-acquisition again in totality.
The Communidade (known to be very close to Dabolim MLAMauvin Godinho) had moved an application on November 30 last year and March 22this year to include its name in Record of Rights with the AdditionalCollector’s office. But the speed at which their name was included in Form Iand XIV of the aforementioned lands is suspect. MoD was issued a final notice onMay 15 this year and final orders to include Chicalim Communidade passed onJuly 15. “We are shocked to see Form I and XIV of our land having a newco-owner despite the fact that Addl. Collector’s ex-parte order has been stayedby the Administrative Tribunal”, says Cmde. Lalit Agrawala, Chief StaffOfficer, Indian Navy. Cmde. Agrawala also confirms that neither did GoaGovernment ever approach them for any of the aforementioned lands nor are theyin any position to hand over their land that the state is eyeing in lieu ofBernard Costa’s land.
In what could be a carefully orchestrated planning over twogovernments, Mormugao Planning and Development Authority under current MemberSecretary Rajinder Pandita had classifed parts of MoD land especially Survey Nos.83/1 and 20/1 as Traffic / Parking on Outline Development Plan 2011. Theexercise, questionable as Centre Government owned lands are not included inODPs. Goa Government in the past and present has been using this as pretext toacquire the said land.
With Parrikar refusing to re-notify Bernard Costa ownedSurvey no 8/1 for Dabolim Airport Parking till Airports Authority of India paysup market rate for it and his government bulldozing land ownership of IndianNavy owned land, the Costa land issue has become a sideshow to Parrikar’s ownstandoff with the Centre.
