State asks Centre to improve interstate air connectivity

BHUBANESWARr: The state government has urged the Centre to improve both interstate and intrastate air connectivity as part of the regional connectivity scheme (RCS).
It has put forth a proposal of four routes to be declared as RCS ones in Odisha. It has also proposed to improve connectivity with major cities in the neighbouring states to the ministry of aviation.
At present, Odisha has 20 operational airstrips.This includes the Biju Patnaik International Airport. "People living in the western, northern and southern parts of the state will be immensely benefited if air connectivity increases," said state tourism minister Ashok Chandra Panda.
The proposed routes include Bhubaneswar-Berhampur-Jeypore, Bhubaneswar-Utkela-Jeypore, Bhubaneswar-Sambalpur-Rourkela and Bhubaneswar-Angul-Rourkela. The minister also requested that these be declared as interstate routes connecting Bhubaneswar airport to important cities like Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Ranchi in Jharkhand and Kolkata in West Bengal.
Panda said, "The state government has been proactive in ensuring intrastate connectivity and developing air connectivity from Bhubaneswar to places like Jeypore, Sambalpur and Rourkela by providing subsidy grant out of its own resources. The plans, however, failed to take off owing to mismanagement of operators."
The state government currently charges 5% Vat on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) for domestic flights. This is reduced to zero for international flights. "The state government has committed to reduce the Vat on ATF at RCS airports other than Bhubaneswar and Charbatia to one per cent for a period of 10 years as mandated in the scheme," Panda said, adding that it will also give land free of cost and of all encumbrances for the revival of RCS airports. It will also provide multi-modal hinterland connectivity from the underserved greenfield and brownfield airports, he said.
The state will provide free power, water, security, fire services and other facilities at concessional rates to the operators. It has also committed to bear 20% of the viability gap funding as its share to be payable to the airlines operators, the minister said. He was speaking at the National Conference on RCS in New Delhi on Friday in the presence of Union civil aviation minister P A Gajapathi Raju and minister of states for civil aviation Jayant Sinha.