Post News Network
Jeypore, April 16: The state government recommended to the Centre for engaging public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to underttake Jeypore airstrip expansion project. Chief secretary Gokul Chandra Pati has already sent a letter to the secretary (Production) of Union Defence Ministry G Mohan Kumar in this regard. Pati in his letter has urged the Centre to hand over the project to HAL.
Meanwhile, Koraput district administration has geared up efforts for implementation of the project.
It has already started works on estimating the fund which will be needed for acquisition of land for the project. It has planned to acquire 445.52 acres of land in areas situated adjacent to the airstrip for undertaking the expansion project. These acquisitions will be mainly made in Sauraguda, Gaganapur, Bankabija and Umari Mauza under Jeypore tehsil. Apart from paying compensation for land, it will also give money to the affected people for their houses and trees.
The divisional forest officer has been asked to estimate the value of forest land situated in the proposed site and trees owned by individuals.
The local tehsildar has been asked to estimate the value of land while the executive engineer of road and building department authorized to estimate the value of houses owned by affected people. Some lands owned by irrigation and energy departments will also be acquired for the project. After the officials designated for estimating value of properties submit their reports, they will be submitted to the state government.
Decisions in this regard were taken in a recent meeting convened by Jeypore sub-collector Poma Tuda to discuss the issue. It was attended by the divisional forest officer Bijay Ketan Acharya, tehsilar Rabi Narayan Majhi and executive engineer of road and building department Pradip Kumar Samal.
The airstrip at Jeypore was constructed on 60 acres of land in 1962. A few years ago, the state government had mooted plan to expand the airstrip. The Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had himself intervened in the matter and taken up the issue with the Centre following which a team of Airport Authority of India (AAI) had visited the site January 15, 2013. The state government has already signed an agreement with the AAI for expansion of Jharsuguda airstrip. Now, it is emphasizing on early expansion of Jeypore airstrip.
Flight service to Jeypore
What can be termed as a double bonanza for the people of Jeypore and entire region, a private airlines named Air Orissa Aviation Pvt Ltd has recently announced to start flight service between Bhubaneswar and Jeypore from next month. It has announced to fly a nine-seater aircraft on this route. The announcement has come at a time when the government is speeding up airstrip expansion project.
