Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has written to the Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju Pusapati demanding a direct flight between Varanasi and Bhuvaneshwar.
“A direct flight between these two cities will improve tourist flow in both states as lakhs of pilgrims visit Varanasi and Puri every year,” Yadav said in his letter which was released to the media in lucknow on Wednesday. The distance between Puri and Bhubaneshwar is 55 kms.
He said that if Varanasi and Bhubaneshwar are linked by air it will not only improve tourist traffic flow but also help in improving tourism infrastructure in both cities.
The UP government has asked Odisha Government to give land free of cost for the construction of a guest house where pilgrims from UP could stay. In turn, UP has proposed to provide land free of cost to Odisha government to construct a guest house in Varanasi.
“If the two states can have their own guest houses, this would increase flow of tourists of respective states and will help both the state in turn,” Yadav said.