Different socio-cultural organisations, civic bodies, intellectual forums, and social activists of Ganjam district once again have renewed their two-decade-long old demand for establishment of an airport in Brahmapur city.

Members of different organisations and intellectuals have strongly criticised both the Central and State Governments for their step motherly attitude and ignoring their genuine demand for a full-fledged air port at Brahmapur, alleged the Odisha Development Forum in a recently held Press meet here.

 Though the Government established a domestic airport at Jharsuguda, but ignored Brahmapur.

The forum demanded that the State Government should proactively take the lead and intervene in the matter to make the long cherished dreams of the people of south Odisha a reality.

The forum said that, the existing Rangailunda air strip, located in close vicinity of the Berhampur University campus, established in British era during 2nd World War, has only a 750 meter long small runway with a helipad spread over 40 acres of land to its credit. But it can hardly support the required traffic to carry passengers.

Any attempt for expansion of the existing airstrip to a full-fledged green domestic airport will destroy the educational environment of the university, the forum pointed out.

The forum suggested that the Government should immediately identify a large patch of land available in and around Brahmapur and submit a realistic proposal to the Union Government for approval so as to immediately start the work for a full-fledged and all weather green domestic airport.