PANJIM: Even though the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study, for the Greenfield international airport Mopa, is still to be completed, the State government on Wednesday finalised the request for quotation (RFQ), which would be kept in public domain from October 3.
“Let there be an opposition. We have taken a decision. Whether some people like it or not, Goa needs a second airport,” Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Thursday.
Parrikar announced that the request for proposal (RFP) for the project would be floated by December, while the tender for the airport would be out by March-April, 2015. “We have already finalised the RFQ for the project and the same would be kept in the public domain from October 3,” he told media persons on the sidelines of the launch of ‘Make in India’ campaign of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Earlier, Thursday morning, Chief Minister twitted that “A major milestone on Mopa International Airport was reached today after RFQ was finalised by the Steering Committee (headed by Chief Minister). RFQ for Mopa will be available in public domain from the auspicious day of Dussehra.” The estimated project cost is Rs 3,000 crore.
A request for quotation (RFQ) is a standard business process whose purpose is to invite suppliers to bid on specific products or services. Once the qualified bidders are identified, the government will float the RFP.
The Chief Minister said that the associations such as CII should support the government in its endeavour because it will also generate employment. The project is facing severe opposition from people from South Goa, who claimed that if the new airport at Mopa comes up, the existing international airport at Dabolim would be shut down.
The State government’s investment in the proposed airport has been by way of land measuring 2,87,725 mtrs, which has already been acquired by the government. The Chief Minister had earlier said that if everything goes well, the new airport would begin operations by end of 2016 or early 2017.
