Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has urged Centre to instruct the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to give no-objection certificate (NOC) for operationalisation of Amarda Road airstrip near Rasagobindapur in Mayurbhanj district under the RCS-UDAN scheme. Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra has written to Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar in this regard, sources said Tuesday.
In his letter, Mahapatra said the Ministry of Civil Aviation has included Bhubaneswar-Amarda Road as a special Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) route under Ude Deash Ka Aam Nagarik (UDAN) 4.1 on the request of Odisha government. Besides, Gsec Monarch has been selected as the airline operator for the route with seven flights in a week by using a nine-seater aircraft.
Though the Odisha government has requested the DRDO several times to provide NOC for commercial flight operations from the airstrip under the RCS-UDAN scheme, the central agency is yet to give its response in this regard, Mahapatra pointed out.
Mahapatra further said the northern part of Odisha is deprived of air-connectivity and Amarda Road airstrip has a huge significance for the nearby places.
The airstrip will facilitate connectivity to tourist sites like Simlipal National Park, Kuldiha Sanctuary and Chandipur & Talsari beaches, promote economic growth through trade and commerce, provide jobs, boost revenue collection and foster community relationship with neighbouring states, Mahapatra in his letter told Kumar.
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The chief secretary urged the Defence Secretary to look into the matter and issue necessary instructions to the DRDO for use of Amarda Road Airstrip by the Odisha government for flight operation under RCS-UDAN scheme in the larger public interest. He hoped that DRDO would issue the NOC in this regard at the earliest.
A few days ago, Union Minister and Mayurbhanj MP Bishweswar Tudu said that he had taken up the matter with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.
The airstrip is located around 225 km away from the capital city of Bhubaneswar and only 90 km from the Kalaikunda Air Force station. It was operational during the World War-II, sources said.
The 1,000-acre piece of land in Rasgovindpur block falls under the purview of the Defence Ministry and it needs to be handed over to the Civil Aviation Ministry. The Amarda Road Airstrip, once it turns into an airport, will cater to an estimated 82 lakh people, mostly in north Odisha, South Bengal and East Jharkhand, sources said.