Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Goa Minister Mauvin Godinho today said that Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has assured him that Dabolim Airport will not be shut down, amid the ongoing political controversy over its future.
Godinho said he met the Defence Minister in New Delhi and submitted a detailed memorandum highlighting concerns regarding Dabolim Airport and the need to continue civil operations.
“I met Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and submitted a detailed memorandum regarding Dabolim Airport. The Minister has assured me that Dabolim Airport will not be shut down,” Godinho stated.
The Minister further claimed that he had intervened after receiving inputs that private airport operator GMR was lobbying for the Navy to take over the airport completely.
“I heard that GMR has been lobbying and urging the Navy to take over the airport. That is why I had to intervene,” Godinho said, adding that he had been vocal about the issue from the beginning.
Launching a counterattack on Goa Forward Party chief Vijai Sardesai, Godinho said the latter was making statements without understanding the full facts. “Vijai Sardesai doesn’t even know the proper issue and is making statements and demanding my resignation. I am the one who openly said that GMR is putting pressure,” he said.
The remarks come in the wake of Sardesai’s allegations that the State government had failed to protect Dabolim and his demand that the Chief Minister and Godinho clarify their stand or face a statewide agitation.
