NT NETWORK
VASCO
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, on Saturday, said that the Centre would not compromise on the security of the country.
Raju made this comment in view of the delay in inaugurating the state-of-the-art multi level car parking facility at the integrated terminal building of the Dabolim airport.
He was speaking to the media after inaugurating the art gallery at the security check-in area of Dabolim airport in the presence of airport director Bhupesh Chand Hans Negi, chief airport security officer and deputy commandant of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Shankararao B, assistant commandant CISF Brij Mohan Singh and other officials of the Airport Authority of India (AAI).
Raju said that the arrival of international passengers (foreign tourists) during this season
will increase as compared to the previous one.
There has been a constant rise in the arrival of domestic tourists in the state, he said adding this year, the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Airport Authority of India are hoping to see a large number of foreign tourists arriving through chartered flights in Goa.
He further said that the Goa would be receiving a number of Russian and Georgian tourists this season.
Speaking about the functioning of the Dabolim airport with the commissioning of Mopa airport in North Goa, Raju said, “If Goa wants Dabolim airport then it would remain forever. It is infrastructure which is already there and I would say that the government of India will be guided by state government in this regard.”
“In some states they would like to have exclusive airports (for civil operations),” he added.
Responding to a question on whether the Indian Navy’s activities at the Dabolim airport would be curtailed to make way for the arrival and departure of more civil aircrafts, the Union Minister for Civil Aviation said that the country should never cease to work on defence preparedness.
“Most of our countrymen will never like defence preparedness to come down. We need the civil activity but it should not at the cost of defence preparedness,” he added.
The Union Civil Aviation Minister said that India has recorded 20 per cent fiscal growth and has the largest growing aviation sector in the world.
He said that the central government would spend Rs 50,000 crore on new destinations (airports) in the next 3 years.