TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
MARGAO: Independent MLA Vijai Sardessai has charged the Indian Navy for having vested interest in the closure of the Dabolim airport for civilian operations. Saying that the Navy is not in favour of a civilian entrenchment at Dabolim, Sardesai wondered how a provision is made for a naval enclave at Mopa even before the Greenfield airport has seen the light of day.
Addressing a press conference, Sardesai reminded that the Navy had done a U-turn in the past after promising to provide 12 acres of land for the Dabolim airport expansion. “Apart from the Congress and BJP, besides the Maharashtrian and real estate lobbies, the Navy has huge vested interest in ensuring closure of the Dabolim airport. The Navy today holds 1,900 acres of land at Dabolim, whereas only 30 acres is held by the Airports Authority of India for civilian operations. Experts opine that if only another 25 acres were made available on the airside for expansion, it would fulfill civilian requirements for the next 25 years, at least. Contrast this with the huge amount of 3,500 acres of land which is needed for setting up Mopa airport, depriving farmers of their land and livelihood,” he said.
The MLA pointed out that the construction of a parallel taxiway at Dabolim has been stuck because of the absurd demand of the Navy to have a tunnel beneath the existing runway which the Delhi Metro authorities have estimated to cost Rs 350 crore. “No airport anywhere in the world has a tunnel underneath a runway. The Navy has not given a single inch of land from 2007 onwards for expansion of the airport. It is thus clear that the Navy also wants to sabotage the Dabolim airport expansion plan,” he added.
The MLA expressed his shock that the previous Congress government had allowed nomination of a senior Naval officer from INS Hansa on the Mopa Steering Committee without ensuring any reciprocal requirements of civilian expectations at Dabolim. “We have a situation where there is already a provision of a naval enclave at Mopa even before the proposed airport has come into being,” he added.
