PM Modi monitoring work on proposed Mopa airport: Parsekar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been regularly monitoring the work on the proposed International Airport at Mopa village in the state, Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said today.

"We have plans to lay the foundation stone for Mopa International airport in the first week of September along with the Electronic City at Tuem (in North Goa) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Parsekar told PTI.

The Chief Minister said PM Modi is monitoring, every month, the development with regard to construction of the proposed airport.

"Our (Mopa) Greenfield international airport is one of the flagship projects of his (Modi). He is continuously monitoring it (the project)," Parsekar said.

He further said his government has reached the fag end of the bidding process and successful bidder would be announced soon.

"The work on Mopa airport will be on schedule. The first phase will be commissioned exactly after three years of laying the foundation stone. If we lay the foundation stone in 2016, the first plane will land here in 2019," Parsekar added.

The International airport at Mopa would be the second such facility in the coastal state after existing Dabolim airport, which is located in South Goa, around 40 kms from here.