AAI, Navy discuss proposed work on airport terminal building
HERALD REPORTER
VASCO, APRIL 1
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) and naval authorities discussed the proposed work on the airport terminal building and parallel taxi-bay at a meeting in the Secretariat at Porvorim on Thursday.
The joint meeting, convened by Chief Secretary Sanjiv Srivastav, was attended by Dabolim Airport Director D Paul Manickam, Flag Officer of Goa Area Sudhir Pillai, officials from PWD, finance department, South Goa Collector G P Naik and other officials.
Speaking to Herald along the sidelines of the launching of the BS-III fuel at Laxmi Petrol Pump at Vasco, Srivastav said the meeting was fruitful as issues pertaining to the terminal building, parallel taxi bay and air dump were discussed.
The meeting today was to take stock of the situation as Governor Dr S S Sidhu has convened a high-level meeting of officials of the ministries of civil aviation, defence, AAI and the State government on April 6, to expedite the construction of a terminal building and a parallel taxi bay.
He informed that tenders would be floated this month and the work would be awarded in May. The project is expected to be completed within two years.
Sources in the chief secretary’s office informed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has to be inked between Navy and AAI on cost sharing of the parallel taxi bay.
The joint committee of navy and AAI at the state level was constituted sometime back for the recommendation pertaining to the technical aspects of MoU. It was agreed that AAI and Navy would jointly build the parallel taxi way, while AAI would build the apron and terminal building.
It learnt that the governor is serious on airport issue and wants the project to commence without further delay.
