Proposed Puri Shree Jagannath International Airport in limbo!

Will the proposed Shree Jagannath International Airport in Puri see the light of the day in the foreseeable future? These days, this question is ringing in the minds of pilgrim city residents. And, they have an obvious reason for doubting the fate of the project. 

As per reports, a global tender was recently floated for the said airport but, surprisingly enough, no company participated. This has led the pilgrim city dwellers to believe that an international airport in their city will remain a distant dream.  

Puri being a famous tourist spot and pilgrim town, the proposed airport will go a long way in improving the tourism sector as well as the financial condition of the local residents, observed some tour operators and city dwellers. 

“We had expected the airport would come up at the earliest. Now, it seems it has been put on the back burner,” said Jugabrata Kar, secretary, of Odisha Tour Operators’ Association, Puri. 

“If an international airport comes up, foreign tourists can come to Puri directly as they come to Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai etc,” said Sangram Keshari Lenka, a travel agent. 

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“I am doubtful because none of the three interested companies participated in the tender,” said Sarat Raiguru, an intellectual. 

For the proposed Shree Jagannath Greenfield Airport, a patch of 1164 acres of land in Sipasarubali Mouza has been earmarked. As per the plan, the airport will be constructed in PPP mode at an estimated cost of Rs 2203 crore. 

Besides the tender issue, another problem that may pose as a hindrance is of the 1164 acres of land, 68 acres is forest land.  
Informing about the present situation, Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena said, “Efforts are underway for the proposed airport.”

When asked, Puri district Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain said, “A committee under the chairmanship of the district Collector has been formed. In the coming days, the land acquisition process will be accelerated.”

Notably, the previous BJD government announced the Shree Jagannath Greenfield Airport on January 1, 2021.