One project, many names: Baptism of new Goa airport sparks controversy

The proposed commissioning of an upcoming airport in North Goa, has emerged as a headache of sorts for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as far as christening of the proposed project is concerned.

While the names which have been thrown into the mix include those of Goa's first chief minister, the late Dayanand Bandodkar, former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, and the state's first leader of Opposition Jack de Sequeira, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has maintained that nomenclature of a central government-sanctioned project, like the new airport at the Mopa plateau, was decided by the central government.

On Monday, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), which is a part of the BJP-led colaition government in Goa, passed a resolution urging the state government to name the airport after Bandodkar, who was a founder member of the regional party.

"The social work done by Dayanand Bandodkar during the pre-liberation period, irrespective of caste and religion, and his contribution in the fields of educational and industrial sectors, and the preservation of the culture of Goa is noteworthy. He gave corruption-free government and worked in the interest of people. Hence, Mopa airport should be named after him," the party said in a resolution passed by its top committee.

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The resolution has also found the backing of former Union Minister of State for Law Ramakant Khalap, who was a former MGP MLA, but is now with the Congress party. Khalap, however, wants more from the MGP.

"This demand must reach the powers that be... MGP has two MLAs and one of them is a Cabinet Minister... Both MLAs must convey this demand in writing to the Prime Minister and Chief Minister," he said.

While the Congress has not adopted a formal position on the naming of the airport, former chief minister Churchill Alemao, who had contested the 2022 polls on a Trinamool Congress ticket, has demanded that the airport be named after Jack de Sequeira, the state's first Opposition leader and a contempotary of Bandodkar.

"It will be a deserving honour for Sequeira's legacy," Alemao said.

Several netizens have also demanded that the airport be named after the state's most successful politician four-term CM and former Defence Minister, the late Manohar Parrikar. Sawant has however deflty steered clear of the naming controversy, claiming that a decision on the same would be taken by the central government.

The first phase of the airport is likely to be commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December.