New Delhi: The Cabinet Thursday approved renaming Jharsuguda aerodrome in Odisha as ‘Veer Surendra Sai Airport’, according to an official release.
Veer Surendra Sai is a well-known freedom fighter of Odisha.
“Renaming of the Jharsuguda airport in his name will fulfill long-pending demand of the Odisha government, which reflects the sentiments of the local public of the respective area,” the release said.
The renaming of the airport as ‘Veer Surendra Sai Airport, Jharsuguda’ was cleared by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it added.
Modi inaugurated the airport September 22.
The airport has been developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in collaboration with Odisha government at an estimated cost of Rs 210 crore, with Rs 75 crore contribution from the state.
Spread across over 1,027.5 acres of land with a 2,390-metre long runway, the area of terminal building of the airport is 4,000 square metres.
The Cabinet approval comes days after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urged the Prime Minister for issuance of notification naming Jharsuguda airport as Veer Surendra Sai Airport, Jharsuguda.
He had also urged Modi to ask the civil aviation ministry to ensure regular flights from Jharsuguda airport.
“I may bring to your kind notice that Air Odisha has suspended flight operations from Jharsuguda after October 6, 2018 without any valid reason. The abrupt suspension of the existing operations has given a severe jolt to the aviation sector in the state and has also hurt the sentiments of the people of western Odisha,” he wrote to Modi Tuesday.
Naveen said he had also requested the Centre to consider introduction of commercial flights in addition to the UDAN flights.
He also requested the PM to instruct Air India to start operations from Bhubaneswar to New Delhi via Jharsuguda so that people of western Odisha would be benefited.
Jharsuguda airport is the second in the state after Bhubaneswar.
AGENCIES/PNN