Goa needs a World class airport to sustain its ever degrading Tourist Industry. It was due to Tourism that many economically backward families have turned economically strong. But should Goans allow another Airport on its border or should it fight to preserve and modernize the present centralized Airport for the benefits of all Goans and at the same time preserve the fragile environment around Mopa-Pernem?
Records reveal Dabolim never belongs to Indian Navy; it is a shame that a disciplined force of country is illegally occupying someone’s land with a stupid reason that they need Dabolim to protect country’s interests.
Goa is not a big State where every fellow Indian can squeeze it, to make their home nor the Central Government forced projects without a simple understanding of its impact on local habitants.
Failure to checkmate immigrants from rest of country and unwanted projects will ultimately bring anarchy. It is time Goans question their CM Monohar Parrikar for so speedily giving nod to the Mopa Airport Master plan. Let the CM first prove the legality of Navy to occupy Dabolim Airport before reasoning out why he is so quick to go ahead with unwanted Mopa-Airport.
Julius Carvalho, Dubai-UAE
Mopa necessary
Much hue and cry is being made about the Mopa Airport, which is quite unnecessary. Although my heart goes out to the people of Mopa who will be dislocated, but they are also the ones who will benefit with jobs and other facilities! As Goa grows and with it its tourism, surely we will need another airport (and also a good passenger cruise terminal) if not now then in the near future!
And, as for tourism being affecting in south Goa, we can have the cruise terminal somewhere in the south. Goa of late has developed a habit of opposing everything and anything.
We should be moving forward and not backward and be thinking 20 years ahead. It is best to have the airport now when everything is in place, rather than to start again after 20 years!
Valent Mascarenhas, Calangute
Airport Solution
Dabolim was originally a civilian airport and was not planned to have a Navy Base. It is appreciated that they had used this temporarily for their earlier operations, but this can’t be made permanent.
The Navy must move out of this residential region, which will as a result, resolve the Airport issue.
Arwin Mesquita, UAE
Roadside drainages
The road side drainages constructed by the PWD under the previous congress regime were not required. It was a racket of the PWD. Even the interior roads with lesser width were not spared.
In some cases the drainages are not connected to the nullah to drain the water from the drainages. The road side drainages constructed on the main road from Mobor / to Margao are clogged with garbage and unwanted shrubs thus blocking the water flow. It is the duty of every village panchayat and municipalities in the cities to clean the drainages every year but it is not done. The said drainages get filled with water during the rainy season and the motorists find it very difficult while driving .Hence I request the PWD Ministry to stop constructing the road side drainages if they are not covered and maintained properly.
Esmeraldo Luis, Carmona
Riders with scarves
This refers to Samson Fernandes’ letter ‘Lady Riders With Scarves’ (Herald, April 30, 2012). It was interesting to read. I support his views. The appearance of those who cover their faces with scarves is not only very deceptive but also of a serious security risk. Besides the chain/bag snatchers on the bikes cannot be identified easily. Persons involved in road accidents due to careless and dangerous driving cannot be identified.
If a person is apprehensive about pollution around and inhalation of fumes from vehicles, they could use a face mask like the surgeons do in the operation theatre, which can be placed on the face which covers only the nose and mouth while the other parts of the face is uncovered. This will enable any culprits or those involved in road accidents to be identified easily.
Lion Ahsan, via email
Lady riders
This refers to Samson Fernandes’ letter ‘Lady riders with scarves’ (Herald, April 30, 2012). He is absolutely right in demanding action against the lady riders who covers their faces and are unrecognisable.
In such a situation, it is very difficult to ascertain whether they are actual lady riders or terrorists in disguise. I feel that the government should ban them from covering their faces and the traffic cops must take action and fine those lady riders defying the ban.
Marcos Alemao, via email
Presidential ‘trips’
Besides her foreign trips, the President of India Pratibha Patil has been recklessly travelling across the country. Last year she was on a four day fiesta in Goa. It was first projected as a private visit but it was later under the RTI Act that it was revealed as an official one. A total expenditure of Rs 14,18,772 was incurred on the Goa Government by this holiday during which she was accompanied by her husband, daughter, grand daughter and a total of 36 personal staff. Such unnecessary trips and extravagant expenditure should stop. Besides being a very unjust burden on the State exchequer, it is also an inconvenience to the public at large because of traffic jams caused by such visits.
In a country where poverty is widespread and the prevalence of child malnutrition is among the highest in the world, we cannot afford such wasteful expenditure.
While Dr Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister can be termed a political disaster, the 205 crores squandered on President Pratibha Patil’s foreign jaunts is a national disgrace.
