Development of the Jharsuguda Airport has been put to fast track with Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi taking a review of the project here on Tuesday.
Special Secretary General Administration Ashok Meena outlined the issues for discussion. Reviewing the progress, Chief Secretary directed the AAI executants, Collector Jharsuguda and DFO Jharsuguda, to expedite the works and complete all the defined works within the scheduled time. The Collector along with district level officials participated in the meeting through video conferencing.
Replying to a media query after the meeting, Chief Secretary Padhi said that Jharsuguda Air Port is being developed through joint funding from the AAI and the Government of Odisha. Apart from providing land, Odisha would also provide fund support for construction of the airport. The progress was satisfactory and we hope that AAI would be able to complete the work in scheduled time, he maintained.
Meanwhile, most of the land related issues have been resolved. The AAI has been handed over 106.23 acres of land out of which 51.8 acres are Government land and 54.43 acres are private land. Stage-1 clearance has been obtained for 9.6 acres of forest land. Tender has been awarded for the works like construction of pavement, passenger terminal building, service block, ATC tower and staff quarters etc.
Construction of the air port has already been grounded in full speed. The runway will be expanded from present length of 1,882 mts to 239 mts x 45 mts. The total project cost has been estimated at Rs 210 crore out of which the Government of Odisha will provide Rs 75 crore along with the land.
Senior officials from the Air Port Authorities of India among others participated.