Jeypore: Hopes for the launching of regular flight services from the Jeypore airstrip soared high as the Koraput Collector took stock of the ongoing work for the project Monday.
The Collector discussed on the modalities on receiving the approval of Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for early launching of regular flight services from the airstrip under the UDAN scheme.
UDAN is a regional airport development and regional connectivity scheme of the Centre aimed at making air travel affordable and widespread for the common citizen of the country for national economic development, job growth and air infrastructure development of all regions and state in the country.
Collector K Sudarshan Chakraborty accompanied by MP Jhina Hikka and Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati visited the airstrip.
A sum of Rs 8.76 crore has been spent in construction of the compound wall, runway, passenger waiting hall and terminal building of the airstrip while the construction of a traffic tower is underway.
The flight services will be launched after a Central team from DGCA visits the place and conducts a review. A plan outlay of Rs 86 crore for launching of commercial flight services from the airstrip on regular basis in under consideration of the state government.
The MLA talked to the contractor over phone and directed him to soon start the electrical work in the airstrip. The Collector and the legislators also discussed with executive engineer Tapan Panigrahi on various aspects of making the airstrip operational.
Meanwhile, the civil construction work in the airstrip has been completed while large trees on the premises were chopped off. The X-Ray machine for security and CCTV cameras in the terminal building will be installed soon. Jeypore airstrip was included under the UDAN scheme along with Bhubaneswar and Jharsuguda after the launching of the scheme by the Centre.
It was aimed to launch flight services from the airstrip on UDAN routes from September 2017 but things got delayed due to absence of necessary infrastructure. The date of launching flight services from the airstrip was extended to December 2017 and then to March 2018 but the work still remains incomplete. It has been planned to complete all the necessary work before applying to the DGCA for launch of regular flight services from the airstrip.
PNN