INDIAN NAVY’S ATTITUDE AMOUNTS TO DEFYING PM

Mr Shantaram Naik M.P. ,who has been vigorously pursuing the matter of the expansion of Dabolim airport has condemned the non-coperative role of Indian Navy which has resulted in the cancellation of Dabolim Airport Expansion and upgradation Tender and said that Navy’s attitude amounts to defiance of the project initiated at the instance of the Prime Minister.

Mr Naik said that it is after meeting a delegation of congress leaders from Goa, that the Prime Minister sanctioned substantial amount to the expansion of the Dabolim Airport and assured that it will never be closed.

Mr Naik said despite this fact it appears that there is a conspiracy going on to stall the expansion and upgradation of the airport as some lobbyist must have imagined that unless Dabolim is expanded the Government of Goa will not go ahead with Mopa and if Mopa is stalled the neighbouring proposed project in Maharashtra will stand to gain.

Mr Naik said that the negative and untenable attitude of Indian Navy, which has been seen from day one, should be questioned by the defence ministry, and that, the ministry has to take step to curb the big boss attitude of the Navy.

One cannot imagine that an area of 1840 acres of land , belonging to the Government of Goa, should have just been occupied by Navy, without any title in their favour. They made Airport Authority and Government of Goa beg for giving a few acres of land for the expansion of Dabolim Airport. Out of this 1840 acres of land, Navy claims that they have transferred to the Airport Authority, 34 acres.

Although Airport authority is in occupation of roughly 34 acres, Navy has not executed any legal document like a lease deed in favour of the AAI. This is perhaps because Navy does not want to legally part with the land or that even if they want to part with, they cannot do so as, they themselves do not have legal title to the 1840 acres of land.

In fact, Mopa Committee Report has recommended that all the mutation cases of Navy as regards Dabolim land should be reviewed by the concerned authorities.

Government of Goa should have taken steps to open all the mutation cases in which Goa Governments land was illegally recorded in Form I and XIV in the name of Indian Navy.

Airport Authority had envisaged a plan for the construction of a New Integrated Terminal Building for catering domestic and international passenger capacity of 3400 passengers (2400 passengers Domestic Arrival and Departureand 1000 passengers international arrival and departure) at an estimated cost The plan required the demolition of existing Terminal Building in totality, to accommodate 12 Aircraft Parking Stands with aerobridges.

It was also envisaged, and rightly so, dismantling of Airport Authority Colony for accommodating operational utility units like Power House, Airline Workshops, Sewage Treatment Plant, Perishable Cargo shed etc.of Rs.500 crores. This would cater to 12 Aircraft parking connected to the Terminal Building through Aerobridges on the Airside and a few more remote parking bays.

Subsequently the number of aerobridges has been reduced and the original plan has slightly been pruned, however, there was no change in Navys attitude.

Mr Naik said even after the inauguration of the project by the Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, the Indian Navy did not stop from creating hurdles which has now resulted in cancellation of the tender.