The defence ministry has approved the development of an airstrip, which was built during the Second World War in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj after the Japanese invaded Burma, under the Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) affordable regional air connectivity scheme.
The Odisha government has been allowed to use of 160.35 acre land for developing the Rasagovindpur airstrip against a compensation of ₹26.03 crore. The ministry informed the state government and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) about it in a letter on Tuesday.
In February, Odisha’s chief secretary, Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, wrote to defence secretary Ajay Kumar seeking a no objection certificate from the DRDO for the commencement of commercial flight operations from the airstrip, which is around 125 km from President Droupadi Murmu’s home town of Rairangpur.
