MARGAO: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Churchill Alemao said he was finally satisfied that the Dabolim airport would continue civilian operations even after the Greenfield airport at Mopa is commissioned and asserted that Dabolim airport can never be shut down but demanded that taxis operating to the new airport be exempted from installing speed governors.
He said that when he was a Member of Parliament by virtue of being a Vice Chairman of the Defence Committee he had come across a letter from the Civil Aviation Ministry clearly stating that Dabolim airport would be shut down once the Mopa airport was commissioned.
“Since then, I have been fighting for a written assurance from the Civil Aviation ministry that Dabolim airport will not be shut down,” he said adding that he used to take up this matter with then chief ministers Pratapsing Rane and Digambar Kamat.
He revealed that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has now given him a letter dated July 1, 2010 written by Under Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to the Chief Secretary of Goa stating that Dabolim civilian operations will continue at the Dabolim airport even after Mopa airport is commissioned.
He lamented that at the crucial moment when he had launched the battle against Mopa airport he did not receive the necessary support due to which Mopa airport is now becoming a reality, he said.
However, he cautioned that it would take a long time for people from South Goa to travel to Mopa given the present traffic conditions and demanded that taxis operating from South Goa to Mopa be exempted from speed governors.
“It will take at least four to five hours to travel from Varca to Mopa and people may have to leave their residence one day prior to the flight,” he said.
Churchill disclosed that Manohar Parrikar had assured him that for the first six months taxis plying to Mopa will be exempted from installing speed governors and further promised that he would talk to the Central government for further exemption.
