Balangir: The government has granted a no objection certificate (NOC) for setting up a flying institute at the Tusra airstrip in Balangir, reports said.
The NOC, accorded for a period of three years, was issued Tuesday by the general administration and public grievance department to the Bhubaneswar-based Government Aviation Training Institute (GATI), which has been imparting flying training in the state capital.
Balangir MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo took to Twitter to thank Chief Minister (CM) Naveen Patnaik for granting NOC to the flying institute.
The government has asked GATI to use the airstrip only for training. It must schedule flying sessions in such a manner that there is no overlapping with the landing and take-off schedules of other aircraft permitted by the directorate of aviation.
The government has also asked GATI to put in place the necessary communication apparatus.
The institute will take 10 flying trainees in one batch and impart training for one and a half years. Of this, six-month training will be conducted at Tusra airstrip and the rest in Bhubaneswar.
Spread over 50 acre, the Tusra airstrip is 33 km away from the district headquarters of Balangir. It has a 1,200 metre runway on which small aircraft and helicopters can easily land and take off.
Before training begins the officials are trying to renovate the airstrip. A whopping Rs 10 crore will be spent on this.
The funds will mostly be used for building a boundary wall around the airstrip. Apart from this, a building will be constructed to house the fuel and security staff. A hangar has been constructed to park training aircraft.
Four aircraft will be provided at the Tusra airstrip for flying lessons. The students have to pay a fee of Rs 22 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for different types of training. The training is likely to begin by the end of this year.
PNN