Dikhyaa Mohanty 
At Lok Seva Bhawan, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi presided over a meeting to talk about the state’s aviation infrastructure development, with an emphasis on “Aviation and Network Construction Management.” The forum examined the status of many airport projects, including as the proposals for a greenfield airport in Paradip, the renovation of Rourkela Airport, and the Shri Jagannath International Airport (SJIA) in Puri.
The state’s key airports, including Jaypur, Dand Bose, Rangeilunda, Gotama, Satibhita, Raisuan, Thusuara, Jamadarpali, Malkangiri, Amarda Road, and Utkela, need to be upgraded in order to improve regional connectivity, the minister said. The development of the Biju Patnaik Aviation Centre (BPAC) at the Birashola airfield in Dhenkanal and the building of heliports in 15 districts were also considered. To speed up these development initiatives, the Works Department was chosen as the nodal agency. The Chief Minister gave departmental personnel instructions to concentrate on modernizing public airports, expanding airline connectivity, and enhancing aviation units’ efficiency.
Restructuring the Directorate of Civil Aviation with ideas for improved human resources and contemporary infrastructure to serve the state’s expanding aviation industry was another topic of discussion during the conference. The Chief Minister underlined the need of modernizing and increasing the efficiency of current airports while also highlighting the necessity for top-notch aviation infrastructure, such as helipads, airports, and drone hubs.
Other departmental secretaries such as Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Nikunj Bihari Dhal, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries Department Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretary, Commerce and Transport Department Usha Padhi, Principal Secretary, Finance Department Shashwat Mishra, Principal Secretary, Works Department Veer Bikram Yadav, MD, EPICAL Shri Bhupinder Singh Punia, Director, Civil Aviation Debudatta Suranjita Jena, and senior officials such as Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, and Development Commissioner Anu Garg attended the meeting.
