VASCO: Vasco police late evening on Friday arrested one Sudesh Parab (39) of Banda, Maharashtra for allegedly molesting a 5-year-old girl in the naval premises at Dabolim.

According to information from police, Parab had droved into the naval-based NOFRA-II premises at Dabolim with his pick-up in order to shift household material belonging to the naval personnel to Mumbai on transfer basis.

However, according to the girl’s parents, even as the loading was underway, the accused allegedly took the 5-year-old-girl who was playing with her friends into the cabin of the vehicle and molested her. 

People in the surrounding areas when came to know about the incident thrashed the accused and later handed him over to the Vasco police. The Vasco police have taken the custody of the accused. 

The victim and the accused would be referred to the hospital for their medical examination check-up. Police sub-inspector, Mr Girendra Naik is further investigating into the case under the supervision of deputy superintendent of police, Vasco, Mr Lawrence D’Souza.

MARGAO:  At a largely attended  public meeting, which was graced by two state ministers and  four MLAs, the  forum ‘Goans for Dabolim Airport Only’  on Wednesday demanded  that the  state  government should declare  the Dabolim airport as the only civilian airport for  Goa and  the land  acquisition and all other formalities  relating to the proposed Mopa airport  should be abandoned forthwith and the acquired land be returned to the rightful owners.

Addressing the people and the politicians at the historic  Lohia Maidan  in Margao,   the forum convenor, Fr Eremito  Rebello took  head on the  government  with the documentary  evidence  and exposed  the Chief  Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar,    former chief ministers, Mr Pratapsingh Rane, Mr Luizinho Faleiro and Mr Francisco Sardinha  for  enthusiastically  rallying behind the proposed  Mopa  international airport. He tore the ‘lie’ to shreds that  two airports would survive in Goa,  drawing thunderous applauses from the people. 

Fr  Rebello, who  acknowledged  the presence of the  MLAs and ministers --- Ms Alina Saldanha, Mr Avertano Furtado, Mr Benjamin D Silva, Mr Reginaldo Lourenco, Mr Vijay  Sardesai and Mr Caitano D Silva   who were seen seating among the crowd,  demanded  explanations from the  leaders  as to why they were eager in going ahead with the  Mopa  project despite the fact that the huge  tracts of land  which has been  in  the possession of the Indian Navy, would be used for the Dabolim airport   expansion so as to meet the requirements till 2030.  

Former chief minister, Mr  Digambar Kamat and the Nuvem MLA, Mr  Francisco Xavier Pacheco did not attend the meeting.

 “I stand to fight for  truth and  justice. This is a fight for  Goans’ survival and  to protect the Goan identity,”  he  thundered  from the  podium, promising  that the battle would  be fought till their demand was met.

He read out a Portuguese document of  1954,  which stated that  the Dabolim airport was not a Navy airport,  and it was built for  civilian purposes. 

After  the Liberation of Goa the airport  was handed over to the Indian Navy  so that the Portuguese do not come again, he said, adding that the Navy was  now  looting the  land.  

Referring to the letters  wrote by  former chief ministers, he stated that   on  November 24,  1998, the former  chief minister,  Mr Pratapsingh Rane  chose a  site at Mopa for new airport  after exploring three options ---  sites at Betul, Mopa and  upgradation of  Dabolim airport.   

Why didn’t Mr Rane choose to upgrade the Dabolim airport then, Fr Rebello asked. 

He further said that  on October 22, 1999,  the former  chief minister, Mr  Luizinho  Faleiro  wrote to the  then secretary of the civil aviation  ministry, Mr Ravindra Gupta to speed up   the proposal on   the   North Goa airport. Then  on    February 21, 2000, another  former  chief minister, Mr Francisco Sardinha   wrote to  the civil aviation  ministry to have  early discussions on the note  forwarded on the Mopa airport. 

He also  read out a letter of the  civil aviation ministry  written on May 1, 2000 to the then Chief Secretary of Goa  which said  that  as soon as  the Mopa  airport was  constructed, the Dabolim airport would be shut  down.   

“Those who now say that two airports would survive in Goa are  big liars and  we cannot trust them. The government changes and so are the  decisions of the government,”  he observed.

Mr Agnelo Fernandes, the president of the Ramponnkarancho Ekvott, asked the Chief Minister whether the proposed Mopa airport was listed in their  party manifesto. 

Reading out the  Goa Development report, Mr Rajendra Kakodkar  called the proposed Mopa airport as  a mega scam of the   successive  governments. 

Mr Siddharth Karapurkar  said that  around 50 lakh  cubic metre of earth  would be  required to level the land.   

“It would be a  ecological  disaster. The government  should immediately scrap the Mopa project and  upgrade  Dabolim airport for  civilian  use,”  he stressed.

 Mr Sandeep Khambli, a farmer from Mopa, slammed the government for forcibly acquiring the land at Mopa  for the airport  project.  

PANAJI: In a heinous crime, a contractor from Merces along with an accomplice killed a couple from Kolhapur, Maharashtra, and tried to strangulate their two children. The children were dumped at an isolated valley at the Molem jungle on Monday night.

PANAJI: While there was not much impact on essential supplies owing to only a small number of good trucks not entering the state in response to transporters strike call,   leaders of the All-India Motor Transport Congress had an impromptu meeting with the Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar and the transport director, Mr Arun Desai holding out hopes that the standoff on entry tax may soon be resolved.

PONDA: The elections to the Ponda municipal council on Sunday  passed off peacefully baring some strange incidents with an overall turnout of 73.32 per cent.

PANJI/PONDA: A hike in the passenger tax imposed on the buses plying on the inter-state routes has led to the inter-state bus operators supporting the strike called by the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) from the midnight of May 12. 

The inter-state bus operators claim that they have not been given a chance to be heard before the substantial hike in the passenger tax, a hike in the reciprocal agreement rates and imposition of the entry fee by the PWD. They further claim that the Chief Minister is reluctant to listen to their grievances and has not given an appointment till date.  

“In my entire career, I have never supported strike but the state government’s decision in the recent past has forced us to join the strike,” said the managing director of Paulo Travels, Mr Mario Pereira.

The Mumbai Bus Malak Sanghatan president, Mr Mallik Patel said that in the year 1974, both Goa government and the Maharashtra government had inked a reciprocal agreement with a provision for issuing leftover permits for contract carriage for private operators on the Mumbai-Goa route and the rate fixed at that time was ` 50 per passenger, per month. 

However, this rate was hiked four times earlier and a substantial hike came recently when the state government hiked it from ` 600 to ` 1,200 per passenger, per month. The only advantage of getting permit in reciprocal agreement is that private operators are not required to change colour of their buses whereas in the case of national permit, all private buses have to paint their buses in a uniform colour, said Mr Patel.

He further said that with the amendment to the Goa Motor Vehicles (Taxation on Passengers and Goods) Act 2013, operators now have an additional burden of nearly ` 300 per passenger per trip.

“To further burden the operators, ` 1,000 entry fee is collected by PWD, which is a clear-cut case of double taxation. All these moves in the last few days have virtually put our business in the dark,” said Mr Patel. 

Mr Patel said that 70-90 buses from Pune and Mumbai ply to Goa on a daily basis and from the midnight of May 12 onwards, not a single bus would enter Goa and all passengers would be alighted before the Goa check post. 

Meanwhile, speaking to The Navhind Times, the chairman of the law commission and BJP general secretary, Mr Narendra Sawaikar said the decision of the inter-state bus operators to stop booking of the tickets will affect the domestic tourist season and the tourists who have already arrived in the state. He said that the transport department is working towards finding an amicable solution and added that a solution could be expected in the next two to four days. He also said that the decision on pass system for trucks will be finalised in the next couple of days.

The situation is crunch with all the trains including the five special trains passing through Goa having been over-subscribed. The public relations officer of Konkan Railways, Mr Baban Ghatge said that all the tickets of trains arriving in Goa and leaving the state have been sold out. He further said that the five special holiday trains are also running full. 

The air fares are scaling towards the ` 5,000 mark and limited seats are available, making it an option for a few. A travel agent said that the tickets from Mumbai to Goa are in the range of ` 3,500 to ` 5,000. He said most of the flights are running to near 100 per cent occupancy making air travel a limited option at a handsome price.

PANAJI/ VASCO:  Virtually all medical stores remained closed on Friday due to the one-day strike call given by the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AICOD) and supported by the local Chemist & Druggist Association of Goa (CDAG).

MARGAO: It is quite evident that slowly but certainly, most feasts in Goa are mainly serving as money-making avenues for various government agencies and business-minded individuals and the feast of Margao Holy Spirit Church is no exception.

PONDA: The Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday made a staunching attack on the Congress government at the Centre for the increase in prices of LPG cylinders and petroleum products.

While appealing to the citizens of Ponda to vote for the Ponda Citizens Committee in the forthcoming municipal elections, Mr Parrikar also claimed that the Congress party is jealous of the good work being done by the alliance government in the state.

Addressing a rally in Ponda late on Wednesday evening, Mr Parrikar said that the UPA chairperson, Ms Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh should answer the people over the increase in gas cylinder price by ` 550, diesel by ` 14 and hike in petrol prices and asked the state Congress why are they mum on this issues. He said that the state government will continue to work for the people and sought answers from the Congress party for the scandals in Ponda which include the demolition of Rajiv Kala Mandir and the sub-district hospital. He said that the Congress should come clean on what prompted them to demolish Rajiv Kala Mandir and what was the need of a 220-bed hospital in Ponda when not even 60 patients visit the hospital.

On the election front, he urged the people to support the candidates of the Ponda Citizens Committee and said that the government will provide the funds for the development of Ponda and it is only the BJP-MGP combine that can make Ponda clean of garbage and plastic just as the government has cleaned the highways.

Addressing the gathering, the PWD Minister, Mr Ramkrishna Dhavalikar accused the Congress of misleading the people and said that if the panel supported by the BJP-MGP is elected to civic body they will take up all-round development of Ponda to fulfill the dream of achieving clean and green Ponda.

While the industries minister said that it is the Congress that is responsible for the problems faced by the people on the mining front as they brought the Shah Commission. He said the people related to the mining industry are suffering however the Centre is not willing to provide a financial package. He said that the state government however will distribute financial aid to the truck owners, barge and machinery owners shortly.

The sitting MLA, Mr Lavoo Mamledar said that he has no doubt that all the 14 candidates will get elected and that they will work collectively address issues affecting Ponda town which will include the parking issue, sopo and other problems. He said it is over a year that the BJP-MGP got elected to power however petty politics prevented them from carrying out development of Ponda and urged the people to support candidates of the committee.

MARGAO: The convenor of the  forum — Goans for Dabolim Airport Only, Fr Eremito Rebello, on Tuesday, firmly stated that the Mopa airport project would die a natural death due to people’s pressure as it has happened in the past with some other projects

 in the state.

Activist, Fr Rebello,  addressing the 300-odd people at Dando ground in Benaulim, stated that the government is keen on seeking  Request for Qualification (RFQ) and Request for Proposals (RFP) for the proposed airport claiming that the land acquisition is done, “but it  has failed to have environmental impact assessment (EIA), which is  equally important.’’

“We  are here to draw the attention of the people at  the village level and make them aware that the government is trying to fool them with the two airport  theory,’’ 

he said.

Recalling the statement of the Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar, who had said that by the year 2017, the Dabolim airport will be saturated with the increasing number of flights, Fr Rebello opined that  with the construction of a new terminal, the Dabolim airport would be able to serve 

till 2025.

“On May 1, 2000, the Union Minister for Civil Aviation had written to the  then chief  secretary of Goa stating that on  the commissioning of the Mopa airport, the Dabolim airport  would be closed down,’’ he  pointed out and accused the government of  misguiding the people .

Ms Therezinha  Fernandes, fired salvos at the  government and the  politicians for supporting the Mopa airport 

 project. 

She alleged that “they all are rogues and  looters of the state’’ and therefore people should unite in large numbers at the Margao Lohia Maidan on May 15,  4.30 p.m. against the Mopa airport project. 

Mr Serafin Cota, a hotelier, explained how the idea of two airports  has failed in other countries and in Mumbai and Hyderabad and added “in no way two airports would survive in the state.”

Mr Cruz Cardozo, speaking on behalf of the hotel and shack owners said that if the Mopa airport is built, the Dabolim airport would be closed down and as a result their business will be affected.  

“If  the Navy does not  utilise the land  for their activities, the said land can  be used for the Dabolim  airport expansion,’’ he maintained.

Mr  Sandeep Kambli, the  secretary of the  Mopa  Vimantol  Piditt Xettkari Sauntha, said that  they  will not allow the government to  grab their agricultural land  for the Mopa airport. 

“We are  ready to die, but not allow the Mopa airport to happen. The Chief Minister is using all tricks against us, but we will not  fall prey to it,’’ thundered Mr Kambli.

Others who spoke on the occasion, included Mr  Job Fernandes and  Mr  George  Fernandes.