Bhubaneswar: Two days after Union Minister Bishweswar Tudu pitched for the revival of now-defunct Armada Road Airstrip in Mayurbhanj district, the Odisha government on Tuesday urged the Centre to operate the airstrip under the UDAN scheme.
In a letter to the Defence Secretary, Ajay Kumar, Chief Secretary of Odisha Suresh Mahapatra said NOC from DRDO is awaited for using the airstrip for commercial flight operation under RCS-UDAN.
“The Civil Aviation Ministry had included Bhubaneswar-Amarda Road (Mayurbhanj) as a Special RCS route under UDAN 4.1 on the request of the state government. M/s. Gsec Monarch has been selected as the airline operator for the said route with 7 flights/ week using a 9 seater aircraft,” he wrote.
In the absence of a response from DRDO despite repeated requests, the flight operation is in a stalemate situation, he added.
The chief secretary further said that the northern part of Odisha is deprived of any kind of air connectivity and this will facilitate tourism connectivity to important places like Similipal National Park, Kuldiha Sanctuary, Chandipur and Talsari sea beaches.
It will also provide a boost to economic growth through trade, provide jobs, increase revenues from taxes and foster community relationships with neighbouring states, he said.
“I would again like to request you to kindly look into the matter and issue necessary instruction to DRDO for use of the Amarda Road Airstrip in Mayurbhanj district by the state government for flight operation under RCS-UDAN in the larger public interest and hope that DRDO would issue NOC in this regard at the earliest,” he added.
According to sources, Joint Secretary Ministry of Civil Aviation Usha Padhee has already discussed the NOC matter with DRDO Secretary Dr G. Satheesh Reddy.
Commerce & transport secretary B P Sethi is also in touch with senior officials of the Government of India in this regard.
Notably, Tudu had told the media that the Centre will give its nod for turning the now-Armada Road Airstrip, which was operational during World War II, into a modern airport.
“I have taken up the matter with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. The place is suitable for a modern airport because of its strategic location,” Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti said.
A team of experts from the Airports Authority of India has already visited the site, he informed, adding that he was hopeful that the authorities would soon accord a no-objection certificate, he said.
He further said that the airport will cater to the travel needs of people from Mayurbhanj, Balasore and Keonjhar districts of Odisha, south Bengal and east Jharkhand. Moreover, it will address the requirements of key institutions like the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Balasore district and IIT-Kharagpur in West Bengal.
