Baripada/Morada: The revival of the Amarda airstrip in Mayurbhanj district has been pushed into uncertainty due to the reported absence of the District Collector at a ceremony held Tuesday for handover of land by the Union Ministry of Defence. Amarda airstrip is situated at Rasagovindpur in Mayurbhanj district. During land survey by the technical committee, it was found that 160 acres of land belonged to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Decks were cleared for development of the World War-II era airstrip under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN) after the Union Ministry of Defence granted working permission on defence land admeasuring 160.35 acres. The Defence Ministry had organised a function to hand over the land acquired for the airstrip to the state government, Tuesday.
However, the handover of land was postponed due to absence of District Collector Vineet Bhardwaj in the function. The development sparked sharp resentment among the attendees as Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs and Water Resources Bishweswar Tudu blamed the state government and the district administration for the land handover process being postponed. He alleged that the state government is posing roadblocks and creating hurdles in the development of the district. Union Minister Tudu, defence personnel SDO Shafique Ashraf, DRDO, Chandipur additional directors Sanjay Kumar and Neeladri Roy, group head GC Jena, technical officer Mahendra Kumar, and senior officials were present at the function.
Sources said that the Defence department in a letterITR/WP/5556/285(A)-4 October, 2023 had invited the District Collector and urged him to remain present in the function. However, the land handover process could not take place as the Collector could not remain present in the function. Notably, the Amarda airstrip, known to have the largest runway in Asia, has been lying abandoned for last 70 years. People have been demanding the revival of the airstrip and the launching of flight services. Union Minister Tudu had held talks with Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh following which steps were taken for revival of the airstrip.
However, the land handover process has sparked resentment among the local residents. The displaced tribals, who have not received compensation yet, blocked the Rasagovingpur– Nalagaja road Tuesday. They have demanded that the acquired land should be handed over to the state government only after the Centre provides them compensation. They staged a demonstration at the protest site for over three hours and relented after Rasagovindpur police intervened. Reports said that the Centre had acquired land from over 500 persons residing in 15 adjoining villages near the Amarda airstrip before its construction.
Later, the Centre started giving compensation annually to the displaced landowners in 1946. This finds mention in the land pattas (RoR). Tribal leaders Durga Charan Marndi, Biswanath Marndi, Uday Soren, Bapi Hembram and Amaresh Murmu and hundreds of tribals in the area alleged that the Centre is yet to give away their compensation even as 77 years have passed since then.