Jeypore: Hope for an early launching of flight services from the Jeypore airstrip soared high after the Centre included the airstrip in the UDAN-4 scheme.
The matter came to fore at a meeting between Union Civil Aviation Secretary Pradip Singh Khorala and Odisha Chief Secretary Asit Kumar Tripathy at Lok Seva Bhawan, Friday. The airstrips in Rourkela, Sundargarh and Utkela have also been included in the UDAN-4 scheme along with Jeypore airstrip.
The Koraput district administration has applied before the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for launching of commercial flight services which it expects to get soon.
The inclusion of the airstrip in the UDAN (Ude Desh Ke Aam Nagrik) scheme has brightened the chances of launching commercial flight services from Jeypore to Bhubaneswar.
The administration has now started making preparation for expansion of the airstrip. The runway is being expanded from 915 mtr in length to 1,200 mtr and 23mtr in width to 30 mtr to facilitate takeoff and landing of small flights. The state government, however, is keen on T-72 type flight services from the airstrip and has sanctioned Rs 55 crore.
Boundary wall, roads, terminal, workshop, office room, staff quarters and security room have been constructed in the airstrip. Currently 900 mtr of boundary wall around the airstrip has been completed while 1200 mtr of boundary wall will be constructed around the runway.
The 1 km road connecting the airstrip to National Highway-26 will be developed into a double lane road by acquiring 3.2 km of private land for which a survey has been completed, Bhaskar Chandra Routray, executive engineer of roads and buildings (R&B) department, said.
Earlier, the Chief Secretary, while attending a regional air-connectivity council meeting, had said that the Jeypore airstrip is next on the list for development after Jharsuguda airport. He had also said that a tender of Rs 55 crore has been completed for the up-gradation and development of the Jeypore airstrip.
PNN