Govt imposes Sec 144 to foil protest near Manohar airport

Nagzar, Varkhand, Mopa, Chandel-Hassapur, Casarvarnem covered

Panaji: North Goa district magistrate Mamu Hage has imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, for sixty days to prohibit assembly or gathering of five or more people and the carrying of firearms or weapons of offences in certain areas around the Manohar International Airport at Mopa in Pernem taluka.

The order comes after the Superintendent of Police, North Goa, alerted the collector that the land losers for the said airport in Pernem taluka, along with those in Mopa, Warkhand, Nagzar, and Chandel, under the banner of ‘Together for Pednekars’ are expected to gather in large numbers at the Nagzar sports ground, which is likely to disrupt the free flow of traffic and create a law and order situation on the route from the airport to Sukhekulan Junction, Dhargal (NH-66).

The protesters are demanding that they be given first preference to register their taxis as Yellow Black Taxi and have a separate counter at the Manohar International Airport, Mopa, instead of allowing Ola and Uber taxis to ply from the airport.

The deputy collector and sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), Pernem, also informed the district collector that taxi operators, including the Green Field Mopa Taxi Association and one Mopa Local Taxi Association, have called for a bandh in and around the airport.

Taking preventive action on the report of the Superintendent of Police and the deputy collector and SDM, Pernem, the district magistrate, has prohibited any assembly and gathering of five or more persons, carrying of firearms or weapons of offences, use of loudspeakers, shouting of slogans, and burning of firecrackers from Sukhekulan Junction, Dhargal (NH-66) to Manohar International Airport, Mopa, and within 500 metres around the periphery of the airport and in the villages of Nagzar, Varkhand, Uguve, Mopa, Chandel-Hassapur, and Casarvarnem.

Protesting cabbies shift to Pernem

Mapusa: Taxi operators under the banner of ‘Together for Mopa Airport,’ who were for the last two days protesting at the ground at Nagzar demanding with the government to issue a notification of allotment of taxi counters at the Manohar International Airport at Mopa, on Wednesday continued the protest at the administrative office in Pernem as the government has imposed Section 144 in Mopa and surrounding villages.

The taxi operators said that they will continue with their protest until their demand is fulfilled and added their vehicles will remain off the road until then.