There are Mopa skeletons in Congress’s South Goa cupboard.In a stunning revelation, it has now come out in the open that while formerCongress Chief Ministers Francisco Sardinha as well Luizinho Faleiro may havebeen either opposing Mopa Airport publicly- or at best pumping the two airporttheory- but in their private mails to the Centre they were pitching in for theNorth Goa airport .
As Chief Minister on February 21, 2000, Sardinha wrote tothe then Union Civil Aviation Minister Sharad Yadav, urging an ‘early decision’on the Cabinet Note proposing an international airport for Goa.
Sardinha wrote “ The capacity of the Goa airport in handlingflights to the optimal number has been severely affected by the restrictionsimposed by the navy… I understand that the ministry of Civil aviation hasalready moved a cabinet note for the construction of a new Internationalairport at Mopa, Goa. The proposal is presently .. awaiting consideration bythe Union council of ministers. I wish to request you for your intervention inthe matter for an early decision in the interest of our state”
Sardinha had reminded Yadav that the Government of Indiaconstituted a committee under the Chairman, Airports Authority of India hadsuggested that Mopa was the most suitable. Sardinha’s letter talks of futilityof operating in Dabolim where the Navy was restricting flights.
While Sardinha made this move more than 12 years ago asChief minister, Luizinho Faleiro had beaten him to it even earlier in 1999 whenhe was Chief Minister. His letter of October 22, 1999, written to the then Secretary (Aviation) Ravindra Guptaurging him to take ‘action quickly’ on the work on Mopa Airport. His letterread “I would also like you to take action on our agreement to have anInternational Airport at North Goa, the process for which can be initiatedimmediately.”
However ten years later as Education minister in the Kamatgovernment, he did tone down his stand. He told UNI then. “For whatever shorttenure I have been Chief Minister I have had five meetings and all thesemeetings were for the upgradation of the existing Dabolim airport.”
South Goa MPFrancisco Sardinha had last week told The Goan that he was “for both Dabolimairport and Mopa airport co-existing in the state. The central government hassanctioned over Rs. 300 crore for the upgradation of the Dabolim airport and itbelieves that both airports in Goa can co-exist”. His new found politicallycorrect favouring of both Mopa and Dabolim at the same go may seem worthy of aparliamentarian. But in South Goa, where being pro-Dabolim is a necessarypre-condition for being wooed by voters, the word Mopa is political harakiri.Not for Sardinha.
The political supremos of the South were actually lobbyinghard for Mopa, while Goa thought they were working for Dabolim.
