A delegation of BJP MPs from Odisha urged Union civil aviation minister K. Rammohan Naidu to establish an airport at Puri, and to revive the state’s airstrips.

The legislators cited that a new airport in Puri will ease the flow of international tourists and Lord Jagannath devotees to the town. It will also augment the economic growth of the pilgrim city of Puri, the delegation claimed.

The delegation, led by Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, met the Union civil aviation minister Naidu on Thursday. It demanded the revival of the airstrip at Cuttack, used during the Indo-China war, and the Rasgovindpur airstrip in Mayurbhanj, used in World War II, as full-fledged airstrips to be used for civil aviation purpose.

The Rasgovindpur airstrip was made during the Second World War (1939-45) as a forward airfield against the Japanese conquest of Burma. The strip was used as a landing ground for planes and a training space for special bombing missions.

For Puri, the central government plans to develop the airport in three phases at an estimated cost of ₹5,631 crore. As per the plan, a six-lane, high-speed corridor will connect Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar with that of Puri.

The proposed airport will come up in an area of 1,164 acres. However, the progress of work on this project has been halted due to various reasons, including getting the no-objection certificates from different authorities.

The delegation also demands the development of Charbatia airstrip in Cuttack into a full-fledged airport. The British built the aerodrome during World War II, and it was abandoned after the war. During the Indo-China War, the airstrip played a major role and was used as a base between 1964 and 1967. The air base is spread over 2000 acres.

In 2011, the Centre, which controls the airbase, announced that it would be converted into a full-fledged station of the Indian Air Force. However, the plan was shelved after the proposed Air Force station was shifted to Panagarh in Bengal.

Now, Odisha MPs demand that the Charbatia airstrip be developed into a full-fledged airstrip. The delegation impressed upon the minister the need to expand the Jeypore and Rourkela airstrips and develop the Tusura airstrip in Balangir district.

The delegation also demanded to include at least 10 places in the state under the Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) scheme to boost regional air connectivity and fulfill the aspirations of the people of the state.

As per the demand, the places to be connected under the UDAN scheme are Barisal in Dhenkanal, Hirakud in Sambalpur, Rangeilunda in Ganjam, Paradip in Jagatsinghpur, Utkela in Kalahandi, Kalinganagar in Jajpur, Raisuan in Keonjhar, Padmapur in Bargarh and Rasgovindpur and Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj. Rairangpur is the hometown of president Droupadi Murmu.

The delegation also demanded the second development of Veer Surendra Sai Airport at Jharsuguda, considered as western Odisha’s economic hub. They argue that the development of the Jharsuguda airport will also help promote the region’s industrial development.

On the issue of setting up an airstrip in Paradip, the BJP MPs argued that Paradip is strategically located and close to major industrial hubs like Angul, Talcher and Kalinganagar in Jajpur district.

Considering the increased flow of passengers and volume of business at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) and subsequent workload, the delegation has also urged the Civil Aviation Minister to set up a new terminal building at BPIA.