All that good old Tom recomends/proposes below, and even more,
can be achieved at Dabolim. But, only if the Indian Navy is bid adieu
as unceremoniously as were the Portuguese.

With the huge area, occupied by the navy, made available for due
expansion and upgrading of the Dabolim airport, all desirable
international status, requirements, quality are practically obtainable.

And the sooner the dreams of Mopa boom creating employment for
Goans are dissipated the better. It will create employment, but hardly
for Goans, who increasingly tend to shun mannual labour.

Who will benefit will be the incoming hordes of migarnt labour that will
easilly quadruple that existing politicians' pet population in Goa.

If the liberation of Dabolim --and, Agendiva -- is beyond the scope of the
perenially impotent farce that is called the Government of Goa, as well as,
of the central government than we, Goans, should demand -- determinedly
agitate if necessary, with all and every means at our disposal -- for a
full-fledged Opinion Poll/referendrum to decide the issue and its result
considered unequivocably binding.

My dear Churchill please repeat the great achievement of Jack de Sequeira,
in Delhi, in 1964 and prove your mettle.

But, please, whilest negotiating the terms of the O.P., take care to insist
that
Goans, living any place in the world, are guarrantteed a vote on the issue,
to be
cast, in the nearest Indian mission.

You would need a panel of expert advisers: None better suited than the
excellently informed Phillip Thomas to help you set it up.

You don't have to worry about me. I shall not be pontificating from out
here.
I will be with you, in Goa, working as hard as I did to save Goa from the
voracious greed of Maharashtra.

We resolutely shunned them them. Let's not let them in now via the back.door
of Mopa.

The stunning victory that, at least once united, Goans woncan, and will,
be repeated.

Alfred de Tavares,
Stockholm, 2005-09-15.

0046 8 759 6214

>From: Tom & Carolina
>Reply-To: "Goa's premiere mailing list, estb. 1994!"
>To: goanet@...
>Subject: [Goanet] Re: Proposed Mopa Replacement Airport.
>Date: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 23:17:43 -0400
>
>Proposed Mopa Replacement Airport.
>
>Goa is moving forward as the central Government has proposed a new state of
>the art airport at Mopa in Pernem.
>
>The present Dabolim airport built around 1953 was just a simple airstrip
>and
>its main purpose due to the economic blocade with India and Portugal.
>After
>independence it was upgraded to enable large capacity flights to land in
>Goa, but its status is nowhere near the international airports in other
>parts of South East Asia including Singapore, Kuala-Lumpur, Hong Kong,
>Manila, Taiwan and so forth.
>
>The terminal building in Hong Kong International airport is 1.27 kilometres
>long, and has international airline counters from A to Z, over 200
>immigration counters, 14 belt conveyors for luggage handling, 60 link
>bridges for the planes to land at the airport, a 5 star airport hotel,
>cargo
>handling, crew hotel, and two runways 3.8 kilometres long.
>
>International airlines also need maintenace and there are two large
>maintenace hangers, and the best restaurants and shopping arcades are in
>the
>terminal building.
>
>The total area of Hong Kong is 1068 sq. Kilometres.
>Judging from the above facts Mopa replacement airport can provide
>employment
>to a few thousand Goans during construction and when the airport comes into
>service. The ground transportation including trains, buses etc are
>essential as passengers cannot be late for their flights. The boom for
>tourism will be excellent for Goa.
>
>There is always a political touch for most of these projects, but we are in
>a world of free enterprise and healthy competion it will enable the
>consumer to get better value for their money and should only improve the
>service industry.
>
>Tom de Sousa in Hong Kong.
>