Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Bishweswar Tudu today slammed the State Government for creating hurdles in the revival of Amarda airstrip at Rashgovindpur in Mayurbhanj district.
Speaking to media persons here, Shri Tudu said the Ministry of Defence organised a function to hand over record of rights (ROR) of the land required for the airstrip’s revival, to the State Government. However, neither the Mayurbhanj Collector nor any district official turned up at the event to take the land documents.
“When I asked the Collector why he did not show up, he revealed that the state government had asked him not to go to the Airstrip,” Tudu said.
Coming down heavily on the Naveen Patnaik government, he alleged that it is encouraging corruption by providing Rs 50 lakh to every panchayat. However, the State Government was reluctant to pay Rs 26 crore for handover of defence land for the revival of Amarda airstrip.
“Though the Centre is actively backing the revival of the Amarda airstrip, the State Government has been creating hurdles for the development of it. The State administration is neglecting Mayurbhanj,” alleged the BJP leader.
He further said that the BJD dispensation has been misleading the people of Mayurbhanj and is not interested in the development of the tribal-dominated district.
The Union Minister also said he had put a lot of effort into convincing authorities of the defence and civil aviation ministries for the upgradation of the Amarda airstrip.
“Initially, the state Government did not deposit Rs 26 crore to get possession of land. However, after a lot of debate, the government paid the amount but did not take the land document,” he said.
Reacting to the allegation of Shri Tudu, senior BJD leader and Minister Revenue, Sudam Marndi said the State Government has been making all out effort for development of the airstrip since 2016. The Government even paid the compensation to get the land. However, Union Minister Shri Tudu never made an attempt in this regard, he said.
Spread across nearly 800 acres of land, the airstrip was operational during World War II. The airstrip in Rasgovindpur will be the sixth facility in the state after airports in Bhubaneswar, Jharsuguda, Jeypore, Rourkela and Utkela.
