Panaji (Goa) Once a staunch opponent of international airport at Mopa in North Goa, State Town and Country planning minister Vijai Sardesai today publicly supported the project claiming that “changing person’s mindset is very important.”

Sardesai told reporters that his opposition for the Greenfield project in the past was due to non-connectivity of South Goa to this facility (airport) which is located in North Goa.

The minister was reacting to the demand by section of people who have said that the tender for construction of Mopa airport granted to GMR International should be scrapped.

“Changing person’s mindset is very important. We had opposed Mopa during that time as the major issue was that the new airport would be disconnecting north and south districts of the State,” Sardesai, representing Goa Forward Party, told reporters today near Panaji.

He said that the State government has already addressed the issue of connectivity between both the districts by planning to construct six lane highway and also a bridge on Zuari river.

“The tender for the construction of airport has already been given. When they have broken the ground at Mopa, how can you  expect me to ask to stop the project. Can anybody rationally  visualize the government scrapping Mopa airport project?,” he questioned.

The first phase of international airport at Mopa is scheduled to be commissioned in the year 2020.

When asked about the formation of Planning and Development Authority specifically for Mopa, the area around proposed airport, Sardesai said that the area around the airport was notified in September 2016 by the the Parsekar led government.

“The current government has only completed the process by announcing PDA for the area,” he said.