Today's (July 23) HERALD has a brief front page report titled "Rail shuttle mooted for Mopa airport". It appears that the CM had a press conference in which among other things he touched on Mopa. However only some sketchy plans for a 2-3 km rail link between Mopa and Pernem have been mentioned by the CM and nothing whatsoever of the airport itself. (In addition there is some reference to land acquisition for the proposed north-south 4-laning project having begun. The CM visualises traffic zipping along on this highway at 100 kmph average. How about that!)
A bit worrisome, however, is the continued reference to Mopa as an "International" Airport. Recently we learned that there are rules about the space between International Airports and this would seem to preclude Mopa enjoying international status when Dabolim is well within the specified limit. Either our hon CM is oblivious of this provision or he knows something about Dabolim-Cavelossim that we dont viz its imminent surrender to the military. The latter is not entirely implausible as we have seen reports recently about the CM's reliance on the Navy, of all entities, for Mopa planning inputs (including a linking ROAD) and his reported unwillingness to envisage its departure from Dabolim-Cavelossim.
