The CLP meeting had then resolved that the Mopa Greenfield airport is not an immediate necessity and that a decision on the project could wait for a later date, while the capacity of Dabolim airport should be first fully utilized. Rane, while ‘singing Lok Sabha election 2014’ tune had in August 2013, even refused to accept the memorandum from the pro-Mopa supporters, who wanted Congress’s support for setting up of the proposed Mopa airport.
CLP member Chandrakant Kavalekar expressed shock over the unexpected statement of Rane expressing open support for Mopa.
“We were shocked to hear what he spoke…the members were not taken into confidence….we are always for Dabolim….and not for Mopa,” Kavalekar said adding ‘if Central government comes out in writing that with the operation of Mopa airport, Dabolim will not be closed down…we can think on it’.
Monday, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had boasted that the BJP won the South Goa Lok Sabha seat despite openly supporting Mopa airport because basically “we never said that Dabolim international airport would be closed down,” chief minister Manohar Parrikar had said.
To this Opposition leader Rane, had interjected: “Mopa is my baby…I had raised objection to setting up of airport at Kitla village (Quepem taluka)”. Supporting him, Chief Minister tabled a note put up by Rane, during his tenure as Chief Minister in 1996 to Airport Authority of India (AAI) stating that Goa will not put up airport on Kitla plateau but proposed to set an airport at Mopa, and ensured its completion within two years.
