From Sanjay Borkar in Margao for Daijiworld News Network- Goa

Margao, Jan 9: Once again to draw the state government's attention towards the Mopa airport issue, to get the project scrapped and to have the Dabolim airport retained for civilians, seaman-turned-veteran politician and south Goa Lok Sabha member Churchill Alemao convened a public meeting at the historical Lohia Maidan in Margao on Saturday evening.

At the last two meetings, which were held in south Goa, Alemao had tried to alert people as to how the economy of Goa, which depended on tourism, would collapse if the Mopa airport comes into  reality.

He is of the opinion that if the Mopa airport is built, the Dabolim airport will be shut down. As there cannot be two international airports in one state and as Mopa is on the borderline of Goa and Maharashtra, tourists would visit Maharashtra instead of Goa, as it will be closer to them. And, naturally, bad days may come for Goan tourism and economy. Thus, from taxi drivers to hoteliers, everyone will suffer.

"Prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi have assured to retain the Dabolim Airport by keeping faith in me. For this reason, till today I have stuck to Congress party or else I would have had quit the party over this issue. The state government is taking this issue very lightly and some ministers, for their vested interests, are trying to have an airport built at Mopa," said Alemao at the public meeting.

At his second meeting which was held in the Blasco executive Hall at Navelim, he served an ultimatum to state government saying that he would quit the party if his demands were not met. He also gave a deadline of January26  to drop the land acquisition process of Mopa Airport, or else he would take to the street, with people's power to fight against it.

Former art and culture minister Sanjay Bandekar, MLA Mathany Saldhana, former MLA Dr Wilfred Misquita, advocate Mike Mehta and Florinano Lobo all unanimously and strongly opposed the Mopa airport proposal. While while speaking at the meeting, they demanded that the government immediately drop the land acquisition process of the proposed Mopa airport and take steps to upgrade the Dabolim Airport.

Churchill Alemao, who had recently been caught on camera in a sting operation over bribery in MPLAD project allocation scheme was defended by all the speakers at the meeting. They said that the operation was intentionally planned to spoil Alemao's name.

Alemao made clear his determination to have the Mopa airport project scrapped by saying,  ‘Even if I am put in jail over the sting operation issue, I will vociferously protest against the Mopa airport’.

The surroundings of the Lohia Maidan echoed with the slogan ‘Goa says no Mopa’, with 2 thousand-plus people having gathered to support Alemao.