Defence minister Manohar Parrikar’s lie to
Goans totally stands exposed with the BJP government in Goa informing the
Assembly that Naqueri-Quitol in Betul will be the permanent venue for Defexpo
and Aero show.
Incidently this is not the first lie, infact
the BJP government has been lying to us throughout for the last two years when
the Defence Minister first mooted the idea of having this exhibition in Goa.
Firstly it was that the villages in the
surrounding areas would benefit from the exhibition as it would generate
revenue for them. Then they changed the tone and started that the hotels along
the coastal belt would earn profits during the off-season. The third was that
Goa would be on the world map for hosting an event of such magnitude with so
many countries participating at the event.
That was not the end of it. The Defence minister
stated that the State would benefit by not spending a single rupee for the
infrastructure as it would create its own. But the BJP government had to reveal
the truth that the State would spend a whooping Rs. 400 crores for the Defexpo
and Aero show. But the remote controlled Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar has
not outlined what profits the State going to rake in after spending hundreds of
crores of rupees. I sure at the end of the 4 day event CM Parsekar will say
that Goa will benefit only if Defexpo and Aero show is organised on permanent
basis.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his
puppet State government then had us believe that they would shift the venue
next year because of opposition, but now we realise that he has deceived us and
Defexpo will be a permanent event.
This means that the Defence ministry will now
possess 6 lakhs sq. mts of land at Naqueri-Quitol. This also means that
movement of the locals and others will be hugely restricted. Just like Anjediva
island off the coast of Canacona, Bat’s island off the coast of Vasco, Dabolim,
Bambolim-Curca, Panjim, Miramar-Campal, Verem, Ravanfond and Cavelossim, now
Naqueri-Quitol will be off the limits for Goans.
How does Goa and Goans benefit by handing
over huge tracts of land to the Defence forces? Just four days event where the
BJP claims to have contracted food stalls and ice-cream stalls to the Goans
during the event to earn some profits. Are the profits of 4 days enough to suffice
for the entire year.
If one might forget, playing with the
sentiments of the locals is the modus operandi of Manohar Parrikar. Do we tend
to forget that during the first year of International Film Festival of India
(IFFI), he had allowed locals to sets stalls on the Panjim Promenade to curb
the rising opposition but today there is no such thing. All these peripheral
activities have been stopped, even various contracts for IFFI bagged by Goan
entrepreneurs through online bidding is ultimately handed over to a non-Goan
players. Today not even a handful of Goans benefit or profit from IFFI being
held in Goa. Infact residents of Panjim, Campal and Miramar are harassed during
ten days of IFFI as their movement is restricted, garbage piles up and normal
life is thrown out of gear.
Defence minister and the BJP government in
the State seem to be playing the same game with Defexpo. Undoubtely Defexpo and
Aero show is mega event, with serious players dealing, manufacturing, sale and
procurement of arms, ammunitions and armaments, communication system, latest
gadgetry and defence technology that is required during war, battle,
confrontation, infiltration, gathering intelligence etc. It is surely not a
cultural festival or a film festival or a 4 day shopping event that Goans are
allowed to set-up food stalls and ice-cream stalls.
The individuals in this business are serious
players, they do business in boardrooms and five star conference rooms. These
folks deal with security of a country are either government representatives or
manufacturers or arms dealers. They are not some citizens attending Defexpo to
experience and enjoy the culture of a region for them to visit a food stall to
taste food or visit an ice-cream stall for dessert. I’m sure that Union Defence
minister Manohar Parrikar himself would not be visiting these stalls set-up by
Goans.
As said earlier Parrikar and BJP led government
in Goa are trying to pull wool over the eyes of the Goans by allowing these
food stalls to be run by Goans. We have enough opportunities during the year to
showcase Goan cuisine like the food festival, the Wine festival, Aqua festival
etc. Ironically even during these festivals, what is displayed is tandoori or
Chinese noodles.
Once the event is established this year, one
can be assured all these peripheral activities like food stalls and ice cream
stalls will not be allowed under the guise of security to those who are
attending the Defexpo and Aero shown. Next year if at all the event is held at
Naqueri-Betul the government might invite five star hotels to set shop there to
cater to the needs of the high and mighty, where middle class people might not
be able to afford.
It can be safely concluded that Defence
Minister Manohar Parrikar works deceivingly. It can be safely deduced that he has
handed another 6 lakhs sq. mts of Goa’s scarce and precious land to the
security forces against the will of the people. Thus it can be safely said that
Manohar Parrikar is no different from other politicians who are ultimately
interested in personal benefit rather than the development of State.
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