Panel seeks more time for Mopa ariport report

Wants more land for upgrading the Dabolim airport

Unable to meet the three month deadline for the feasibility study on the proposed Mopa international airport, the study committee constituted by the Civil Aviation Ministry is seeking an extension of three to six months for submitting its report. The present deadline lapses today.

The panel which met in Goa today for the second time, after it has been constituted, also proposed to co-opt technical experts on the committee for which assistance will be sought from the ministry.

The committee also approved the state cabinet decision to expand and upgrade the Dabolim airport. "The committee has urged acquisition of eight acres of land from the Navy and 10 acres from the state government to expand the existing airport at Dabolim," chief secretary J P Singh told Business Standard.

He pointed out that about 7 acres have already been acquired form the state and efforts would be on to pursue the acquisition proceedings to get the the rest of the land from both the government and the Navy.

The committee was of the opinion that Airports Authority of India (AAI) should submit an assessment on the carrying capacity for passenger and cargo flights for the expanded airport in the wake of the plans for adding an international terminal and parking base at Dabolim in Vasco.

Meanwhile, the government would be shortly inviting expressions of interest to appoint a consultant for preparing the techno-economic feasibility for the 95 km expressway connecting north and south Goa, Singh said.

Following an aerial survey, Singh said, "We will be asking the PWD to demarcate the route on the ground before the monsoons."

"The expressway project will be executed irrespective of whether Mopa airport takes off or not," he said, adding that 20 per cent of the cost of the project would be funded by the centre and that 20 per cent would be availed by way of soft loans from the state.