3 more cities included under UDAN scheme

Bhubaneswar: Three more cities of Odisha including Baripada, Padmapur (Bargarh) and Therubali (Rayagada) have been included under the central government’s regional connectivity scheme UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) in the second phase.

According to reports, Odisha government has already begun the process of launching flight services from these three cities.

Keeping in view the land acquisition problem for Baripada airport, Odisha government has written to Ministry of Defence requesting development of airstrip at Rasagovindpur near Amarda road in Mayurbhanj.

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Citing that the Defence ministry had stated that it is not inclined to develop the Airstrip at Rasagovindapur for Maritime Air Surveillance, Special secretary of Odisha General Administration department, Ashok Meena has requested Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Devika Raghuvanshi to hand over the land of Airstrip to Odisha for its development to meet civilian air service requirements.

“The development of the airstrip for civilian use will improve air connectivity to the northern part of Odisha and being located mid-way between Bhubaneswar and Kolkata airport, this airstrip could be used both for inter-state and intra-state air connectivity under UDAN scheme,” said Meena in a letter to Raghuvanshi.

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On the other hand, flight services from Jharsuguda and Rourkela which were included in the first phase of UDAN scheme are all set to be made operational by January 15, 2018.