MARGAO: In a series of questions posed to the Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, the Congress has sought to know whether the runway at Dabolim airport is being frequently maintained to build a case for Mopa. It has also alleged a scam in the runway carpeting work as the contractor was unqualified and demanded an immediate reduction of the maintenance period from 31 days to less than a week, besides a third party audit into why the runway is being maintained frequently in the charter season.
“The Congress demands an apology from Parrikar for lying about the golf course and asks him to vacate an equal size of land occupied by the Navy to facilitate the expansion of Dabolim airport’s civilian facilities. He should also recover the public money that was spent on this golf course and tell the people of India where else public money has been wasted by the Defence Ministry,” said Congress spokesperson Avinash Tavares.
He added, “The Congress is also shocked by the month-long ‘routine’ maintenance of the Dabolim runway. From March 1 till March 31, in the peak charter season, the runway is being repaired and closed for traffic. Is Parrikar tacitly using the navy to cause inconvenience to charter flights to build a case for Mopa or does he want to kill the already dwindling overseas tourist traffic to Goa?”
The questions posed by the Congress to Parrikar are: What is the need for this repair when the runway was freshly laid last May with a 10-year guarantee, but repaired again in October? Were the works done last year audited, and if yes, why aren’t inquiries instituted against those officials for shoddy works. After 60 days of laying the runway and 90 days of repairs, all within a year, were the works done of sub-standard quality?
