TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar Thursday made references to his close friend and former Cabinet minister, late Matanhy Saldanha in a bid to justify his government’s stand on the Mopa airport by stating that Saldanha was convinced about the need to have another airport besides Dabolim, as it was getting saturated.
Parrikar was quick to inform the Goa Assembly that he would never close Dabolim because he had assured his late Bharatiya Janata Party MLA that he would not do so.
Remembering Matanhy on his first death anniversary, he said, “we had frank discussions on this issue several times and Matanhy was convinced that Mopa airport was needed”. Matanhy’s main contention was that under no circumstances Dabolim should stop functioning, he said.
“I have assured Matanhy that I will see to it that Dabolim airport continues with full expansion,” Parrikar said, on an emotional note. “People should have faith in me that Dabolim will continue not just because there is a resolution from the Centre but primarily because I had assured Matanhy that it will not be closed,” he reiterated.
Parrikar said the Dabolim facility could be expanded only because of the efforts of BJP government. The process to expand the airport had started when BJP MP Shripad Naik was union civil aviation minister, he reminded the House.
The chief minister claimed that the Dabolim facility is already saturated with 3.2 million passenger arrivals predicted for the year 2014-15 by ICAO but it had already crossed the figure last year.
Parrikar said that it will take at least five years for Mopa airport to be a reality as it will take at least one year to get a contractor on board.
The chief minister also lashed out at the former Congress-led government for leaving a huge liability of Rs 1,500 crore in the form of various unpaid bills, when he took over in 2012. Parrikar said these liabilities resulted in the fiscal deficit for the current State budget. “I am paying for your sins,” he said caustically.
