Bhubaneswar: The Defence Ministry on Tuesday granted working permission for development of the airstrip at Rasgovindpur near Amarda Road in Mayurbhanj district.
According to the official letter to Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the Odisha government has been allowed permission over land measuring 160.35 acre against cash compensation of Rs 26.03 crore. It has to be deposited with the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI) before execution of working permission.
The Ministry has suggested a separate board of officers (BOO) to ascertain the exact location, demarcation of land, its cost and modalities of transfer, and security and safety measures. government/private assets and the cost of their demolition. relocation or reconstruction before handing/taking over the defence land for purpose of commencement of work. It has been asked to complete the within four weeks from the issue of the working permission.
“In case there is variation in area, revised sanction of MoD will be required to be obtained,” it added.
It further said that mutually used land, if any, will be regulated on the lease of Re 1 per sqm per annum and the amount so incurred will be adjusted from cash compensation.
The cost overrun due to delay in execution of work for creating the approved infrastructure will be borne by the indenting agency, which is the Odisha government.
“The handing/taking over of land would be done through a Board of Officers with members of state government, DRDO and DEO, Bhubaneswar Circle,” it added.
The government has also been asked to implement suitable traffic control measures in the vicinity of military pockets during and after the development of the airstrip.
Amarda airstrip belonging to DRDO is included in the UDAN scheme document. Bhubaneswar to Amarda and vice-versa route was offered as a state-sponsored route under bidding round UDAN 4.1. The Airports Authority of India (AAI), the implementing agency, has received one bid.
In February, State Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra had written a letter to Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar seeking NoC from the DRDO for the commencement of commercial flight operations from the airstrip.
The DRDO in April this year had recommended and submitted the proposal to the Ministry for granting ‘No Objection’ to Odisha for using the airstrip and working permission to develop a civil enclave there.
Notably, this airstrip was built during the Second World War (1939-45) as a forward airfield against the Japanese conquest of Burma. The large strip was used as a landing ground for planes and a training space for special bombing missions. Its runway, which is over 3.5km, is the longest runway in Asia. However, it was abandoned after the war, historian Anil Dhir had earlier told the media.
