Process for expansion of airstrip begins in Odisha’s Jeypore

Reported by Ranjan Rath
Koraput, Mar 6:

The process for expansion of airstrip at Jeypore in Odisha’s Koraput district has begun.

Sources said the Centre has expressed its keenness on expansion of the airstrip to make it an all-weather airport for transportation of the engines of the MIG-27 and Sukhoi combat aircrafts manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), by planes using the airstrip instead of transporting them by road to Vishakhapatnam which is 240 km from Jeypore.

The airstrip was built in 1962 on 60 acres of land.

Official sources said following the directive of the state government, Koraput collector Yamini Sarangi, Jeypore sub collector Poma Tudu and Jeypore tehsildar Rabi Narayan Majhi had gone to Bankabija village under Gaganapur Mouza and identified 445.52 acres of land near the airstrip for acquisition.

“The district administration would take necessary steps after its receives money from the state government for compensation to the land owners for acquisition of their land for expansion of the airstrip”, the collector told OST.