Panaji: Rajya Sabha MP from Goa Shantaram
Naik on Friday alleged the Navy was posing hurdles in the
expansion of Dabolim airport which was approved by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh.
"The Indian Navy has asked Airport Authority of India
(AAI) to stop work on the expansion project. They have pointed
out that the land is not handed over to the AAI for the
project," Naik told a press conference here.
He said the work on Rs 500-crore airport expansion
project had stopped for the last two days.
The Rajya Sabha member said the Navy has claimed
ownership of a certain portion of land forcing AAI to halt the
entire work.
"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself had approved the
project, which is being sabotaged by the Indian Navy," Naik
alleged and accused the Navy of being anti-Goan.
He said that right from beginning, the Navy's attitude
towards the airport expansion project in Goa was 'hostile'.
Naik said he would take up the issue with Defence
and Civil Aviation ministries in Delhi next week.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, July 17, 2010, 00:22