TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Cabinet Minister in the Parsekar government Alina Saldanha has said she has requested the new Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to consider the request to either shift the Navy out of Dabolim or release additional land for upgradation of the necessary infrastructure at the Dabolim airport.
When Herald sought to now from the former Environment Minister whether she would take up with the new Defence Minister her long-standing demand to shift the Navy out of Dabolim, Alina replied in the positive, saying she has already discussed the matter with Parrikar no sooner he was called to Delhi to preside over the Defence portfolio. “I immediately made a mention to Parrikar that he should either take steps to shift the Navy to the Sea bird or release additional land for further expansion of Dabolim airport. The reply I received from Parrikar was quite positive. He has assured to do the needful”, she said.
Alina was one amongst the elected representative of the BJP who has been consistent in her demand for shifting of the Navy from Dabolim to Seabird, Karwar – a demand which has not gone down well with her party colleagues. Even Parrikar had in the past snubbed the demand, saying the demand cannot be achieved overnight as it would take 15 long years to shift the Navy and will cost the exchequer around Rs 15,000 crore.
Earlier this week, the anti-Mopa activists had raised the demand for the immediate release of 15.5 acre of land.
