Odisha asks Centre to introduce e-Visa facility at Bhubaneswar

Odisha government today urged the Centre for introduction of e-Visa facility at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here.

"In order to facilitate the travel of arriving tourists, it is requested that e-Visa facility may be introduced for Bhubaneswar airport for the citizens of the eligible nations, which would encourage people from the countries connected by the recently launched international connectivity," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Stating that the e-Visa facility at the city airport would boost tourist footfalls to Odisha, Patnaik informed that Air Asia has already started its operation between Bhubaneswar and Kuala Lumpur.

The state government has entered into an agreement with Air Asia in which the state has been providing viability gap funding for the international carrier for its operations from Bhubaneswar, Patnaik said.

"There has been good response to this international connectivity with Indian citizens travelling abroad through Bhubaneswar. Besides, a sizeable number of foreign arrivals have also been noticed," the chief minister wrote.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)