The State Government has decided to start expansion works at Jeypore and Rangeilunda airstrips soon.
General Administration Department Special Secretary Ashok Kumar Meena visited both the sites and discussed with the district Collectors of Koraput and Ganjam to sort out the land acquisition issues recently.
“We have asked the Koraput and Ganjam district administrations to complete the land acquisition process at the earliest,” said Meena after visiting both the airstrips.
He said Works Department has prepared blue prints for expansion of both the airstrips and funds are already available.
Works Secretary Nalini Kanta Pradhan said both the airstrips would be able to accommodate 72 seated turboprop aircrafts after expansion. The Jeypore Airstrip would facilitate smoother movement for the Central Forces to the Red corridors.
The Rangeilunda airstrip would be expanded at an estimated cost of Rs44 crore. Now the airstrip has a 900-metre runway spread over 40 acres of land. Another 40 acres of land, including 30 acre of private land, would be acquired to expand it to a 1,874-metre runway, officials said.
The Works Department has already prepared a detail project report for its expansion, said Works Brahmapur division Executive Engineer PK Das.
A culvert would be built on the nearby canal and the Brahmapur-Gopalpur road would be diverted slightly, he added.
Some private operators would be encouraged to run small planes from Rangeilunda to Bhubaneswar, Jeypore and other towns. After expansion works, the State Government would move the Centre to upgrade the airstrip to a mini airport.
Notably, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju, during his recent visit to Brahampur, had said his Ministry would take steps for the development of Rangeilunda airstrip into an airport if the State Government presents a proposal to that effect.