Bhubaneswar: The Shree Jagannath International Airport project in Odisha’s Puri has made major progress as several important clearances have been obtained for its implementation, the Rajya Sabha was informed.
Answering a question in the House on Monday, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the ministry gave ‘in-principle’ approval to the project on May 6, while the expert appraisal committee (EAC) recommended environmental clearance on June 5.
Phase-1 of the airport is proposed to have an estimated passenger handling capacity of 4.6 million per annum, the Minister said replying a question from Subhasish Khuntia on the current status of the proposed airport.
“The phase-1 of the greenfield airport project is designed to handle 4.6 million passengers annually, positioning it as a major aviation hub in eastern India. The development follows the two-stage approval process outlined in the Greenfield Airports Policy, 2008, which includes site clearance and ‘in-principle’ approval,” he said.
As the project proponent, the state government is responsible for crucial aspects including land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement, funding and securing mandatory environmental clearances.
While the Defence Ministry has already given its no-objection for the ambitious project, the completion timeline depends on various factors such as land acquisition, mandatory clearances and financial closure, Naidu said.
Highlighting the project’s potential economic impact, the Minister citied a study of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) that shows air connectivity has an economic multiplier effect of 3.25 and an employment multiplier of 6.1. The airport is likely to work as a catalyst for regional development, boosting tourism, generating employment, and enhancing land values in the surrounding areas.
As Puri happens to be an important seaside pilgrimage centre, the airport project is set to boost religious and beach tourisme.
