PANJIM: Forest and Environment Minister Alina Saldanha on Tuesday clarified that she supports one airport in the state while speaking to the media outside chief minister’s official bungalow.
Alina said she will go with the stand of her late husband Matanhy Saldanha, who was of the view that Dabolim airport should be maintained as a civilian airport for Goa and that the State is too small for two airports.
When asked whether she “in principle” opposes Mopa project. However, Alina added, “I have full faith in the Chief Minister over Mopa airport”.
The Government has already floated request for qualification (RFQ) for the proposed second airport for Goa.
The minister said that she has also put up a note to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar expressing the worries and apprehensions raised by people from South Goa about floating RFQ without conducting the environment impact assessment (EIA) study. She said that people are of the view that government was not following the mandatory norms required under the environment protection act with regard to the proposed airport at Mopa.
Alina along with Fisheries Minister Avertano Furtado had raised apprehensions about the Mopa airport project during the last Cabinet meeting, wherein RFQ was proposed for approval.
“Chief Minister has made it clear that EIA study is under process and that only after its completion and necessary clearance from Union Ministry for Environment and Forest (MoEF), will he go ahead with the project,” Alina, who was recently been cornered by supporters for being soft on Mopa issue, said.
Government has entrusted the EIA study of the project to Engineers India Limited, a government of India undertaking at a cost of Rs 19.70 lakh.
An area of 81,29,455 sq mtrs has been acquired for the development of the airport, while 381 acres has been proposed for commercial development.
Rs 11.77 crore was paid towards compensation to farmers. Government is expecting the airport to be functional
by 2017.
