CM sacrifices Dabolim at altar of politics

Panjim: After Herald’s expose, last Sunday of how Chief Minister Digambar Kamat threw propriety to the winds by denotifying 36,800 square metres of land adjoining the Dabolim airport back to a private owner Bernard Costa, more secrets of this dirty deal are tumbling out.
Clearly influenced by Revenue Minister Jose Philip D’Souza and backed by Deputy Speaker Mauvin Godinho, the Kamat-led team announced that 70,000 square metres of alternate land would now be acquired for parking as part of the expansion plan. This land, airport officials confirm is a defence land and there is no guarantee that this would be available.
So from a situation of easily available prime land which was returned to an influential private individual, for considerations that clearly are not above board, the government has no land. At least not in hand.
What is more, even the head of the state Governor S S Sidhu had advised the Chief Minister against denotifying this land, only to be told by Digambar Kamat that the political compulsions of having Jose Philip and Godinho on his side were heavy.
Moreover, in the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on February 14 when the de-notification decision was made, the PWD was directed to initiate action to acquire vacant land (70,000 sq mt pointed by Mauvin & Jose) under emergency clause of Land Acquisition Act.
18/03/11 Suraj Nandrekar/Herald

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Categories: Airports Mar 2011, New Mar 2011