Mopa airport will be developed as global business hub: Prabhu

NT NETWORK

 

PANAJI

Union Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu on Saturday announced that the new  greenfield International airport at Mopa will be developed as an international business hub for southern India with the additional facility of entertainment park, which will help bring more tourists, create a large  number of employment opportunities and generate revenue for Goa.

Prabhu, who was in the state  on Saturday, reviewed the progress of the work for the Mopa airport in the presence of Union Minister for AYUSH Shripad Naik; Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar; Tourism Minister Manohar Azgaonkar; Mandrem MLA Dayanand Sopte; Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma and GMR director Narayan Rao.

The Mopa airport is being constructed by GMR Goa International Airport Limited, a special purpose vehicle formed by GMR Airports Limited.

The first phase of the airport work is expected to be completed by 2020.

The Union Civil Aviation Minister said that by 2025 over 30 million tourists will come to Goa, which will create huge employment and generate more revenue.

“New international airport at Mopa will be a win-win situation for Goa as it will bring more tourists, help create jobs to locals, and   generate more revenue. Goa’s new airport will not only bring more passengers but also bring prosperity for the state,” he
noted.

Observing that the airport, which is being constructed under public-private partnership mode, should be another model for the development of India, Prabhu said the first phase of work would be completed on time, and first flight would fly from Mopa in next two and half years.

“As there is great contribution of the people along with the state government to the construction of this project, we have created inbuilt system where jobs at the Mopa airport will be given to locals by providing them skill development training,” the Union minister said.

He also announced that a skill development programme will be launched, which will not only help the locals get jobs at the Mopa airport but also get jobs all over the world in the civil aviation sector.

The minister stated that the Centre is in process of drafting skill development policy for aviation sector.

He said that an entertainment park will be developed at the Mopa airport as tourist attraction, and the airport will  be made an international business hub for southern India which will enable to provide various airlift services including cargo facility.

Prabhu, who also holds commerce and logistics portfolio, said the Centre has decided to promote Goa as a national hub for startup, assuring that   support will be provided to the state for innovative startup ideas.

Meanwhile, some civil society members protested at the Mopa airport site, demanding that the project be scrapped.

They also demanded restoration of the land and environment on the Mopa plateau for the sustainable development and real growth of Goa and Goans.