ON PWD SCAM
Even after The Goan exposes the PWD scam with documentalproof some time back, the state government who acknowledges that the former PWDminister Churchill Alemao left PWD in a mess, is still not acting tough on thosewho are responsible for the same.
In a debate over a joint starred question by variouslegislators, Parrikar while holding Churchill Alemao responsible for the sorryfinancial condition of PWD, only assured the House of punishing the guilty.
Former Health Minister Vishwajit Rane pointed out thatbesides, political cleansing operation, Administrative cleansing is alsorequired, as right from the Chief Engineer to PWD secretary, all were involvedin scams.
“My priority is to set the department in order, I know thereis a need of a cleansing exercise at administrative level,” said Parrikar.
“We are still busy in clearing the mess created by erstwhilegovernment and till date we have managed to clear Rs 593 crore bill of theprevious government incurred by the PWD,” said Parrikar.
ON MOPA VIABILITY
From making the Mopa airport feasible for cargo transportationto facilitating aircraft s spares hub in the vicinity, Parrikar is going allout to convince all that Mopa airport is the need of hour. Giving all possibleassurance amidst some opposition from south Goa legislators, Parrikar hasassured the House that in no case the Dabolim airport would be closed forcivilian traffic and that the main purpose of Mopa would be that it will be acargo hub, which is the need of hour, he claimed.
“When International Civil Aviation Organization submitted itreport on Mopa in 2007, it suggests that the handling capacity of Dabolim wouldgrow to 3 million passengers by 2012 and the same would be increased to 6million in the next five years. The under construction terminal building atpresent doesn’t have capacity to handle an additional 3 million passenger forthat purpose Mopa is required,” said Parrikar.
He said that Mopa has huge potential as cargo hub for itscentral location in entire Konkan region, where cargo from Sawantwadi, Hubliand Belgum, can be exported.
Referring to Independent MLA Vijai Sardessai and CongressMLA Reginald Lourance, Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho said that “an effort is goingon from a few legislators to create a divide among Goans on North and Southregion in the name of the airport.”
“Is Mopa not part of Goa, than why an objection to Mopaairport,” asked Godinho.
DABOLIM LAND DE-NOTIFICATION
A joint alliance of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar andCongress heavyweight Mauvin Godinho judiciously defended that though,controversial Bernard Costa’s land meant for parking and allied facilities wasde-notifi ed, and the present terminal building would not have any problempertaining to parking. “I had joint meeting with AAI requesting them to writeto me their requirement but till date they have not replayed.
Let AAI ask how much land is required I am ready to providethem,” said Parrikar. He said that the de-notified land was actually meant forCISF barrack and he is ready to provided land within 2km of radius for CISFbarrack. Both Parrikar and Godinho said that de-notifi ed land was not feasiblefor car parking since it is nearly 900 meters way from present terminalbuilding. Parrikar further said that there has been a general practice amongcentral government organisation to seek more land than was required and thatsubsequent Need Analysis proved that so much of land acquisition wasn’tnecessary.
