Goa government to give five acre land to Navy at proposed airport

PANAJI: Goa government has agreed to allot five acre land to the Navy for setting up a naval enclave at the proposed International Airport in Mopa, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said today.

"We have decided to allot five acres of land in the proposed Greenfield airport at Mopa to the Indian Navy considering the security point of view," he said.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, in a letter to Parsekar on June 2, had sought the land to set up a naval enclave at the airport. The first phase of the airport is expected to be commissioned in 2019.

"Whenever an airport comes up in the coastal area, the Defence Ministry always seeks land from the security point of view," the Chief Minister said.

According to Parsekar, since the existing Dabolim airport has presence of the Navy, the state government had earlier refused to give any land to it at the proposed Mopa Airport.

"But now, considering the security concern, we have agreed to give the land," he said. Foundation stone for the Mopa airport is expected to be laid this year.

In the letter, Parrikar had said, "Naval enclave is considered critical for naval aircraft operations. The proposed five acres of land for this purpose could be given on lease for the entire period of concession."

"The proposed naval infrastructure would be built by the Ministry of Defence with separate independent entry and exit to the naval facility," the Defence Minister had said.

The Defence Ministry has clarified that the "launch of military operational missions would take priority over normal operations in case of emergency as declared by the Government of India."