Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Saturday assured that Dabolim airport would be of world-class standards within two years.

“The airport tender process is underway and is expected to be completed by February. Work on upgrading the airport should begin by then,” Patel told reporters along the sidelines of an NCP meeting at the Dabolim airport.

He claimed that there had been some delay to commence the work on accounts of certain issues raised by the navy.

“But now, all issues have been resolved and therefore, there should not be any doubt that this airport will be made world class within the next two years,” he said.

It may be recalled that the Airport Authority of India (AAI) had scrapped the tendering process in October 2009, provoking Opposition Leader Manohar Parrikar to accuse the State government of adopting an indifferent attitude towards the modernisation of the lone airport in the State.

Hit by widespread criticism, the AAI along with the State quickly re-floated a tender to construct the new integrated terminal at the civil enclave of the Dabolim airport on November 21 at a cost of Rs 197.53 crore.

Incidentally, the government had initially announced an Rs 300 crore expansion plan for the Dabolim airport in February 2009. The AAI had also clarified that besides the terminal work of Rs 197.53 crore, another tender for AC and other electrical needs would be floated shortly.

[Source]