PANJIM: Claiming that construction work on the Mopa airport will begin by the middle of next year, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said Goa does not face a threat from the Chipi airport in Sindhudurg district, but it is they who would be threatened by Mopa airport.
Parsekar informed the assembly that in the 20th meeting of the steering committee of green field airports at New Delhi, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) that is promoting the Chipi airport had raised the doubt over viability.
“MIDC has flagged the issue of reduced viability of the Chipi airport because Mopa airport is being developed by government of Goa, they flagged the issue in the meeting,” Parsekar said.
MIDC informed the steering committee that they are revisiting the developmental plan of the project and sought assistance from ministry of Civil Aviation, Parsekar informed the assembly.
He said that the ministry of Civil Aviation advised MIDC that the airport may be developed for small aircraft operation and for general aviation purpose to improve the viability of the airport.
“MIDC was advised to further discuss the plan of the airport and re-work the runway capacity as the present runway capacity is too large to sustain viability of the project,” the CM said, in an attempt to clear doubts on Mopa viability raised by opposition MLAs.
Construction of the Chipi airport commenced in 2013. However, Parsekar said the developer for the Mopa airport will be finalized by end of this year and the work will commence by May-June 2016 and the first phase of the airport will be completed by 2019.
