Union Minister Bishweswar Tudu Slams Odisha Govt Over Amarda Airstrip

Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Bishweswar Tudu today slammed the Odisha government for not taking development work in the state seriously. The minister claimed that the long pending demand for developing Amarda Airstrip was once again withheld due to the denial and non-cooperative behaviour of the Odisha Government. He said that the Central government and the Ministry of Defence went to Odisha to provide the land for the Airport but state Government representatives didn't come to receive it despite of the letter given by DRDO to the collector to receive it.

He said that from the very beginning of his social life, he worked day and night for a commercial airport in Mayurbhanj, Odisha to benefit the people of Mayubhanj along with the people of the Northern part of Odisha, Southern part of Jharkhand and South West part of West Bengal. 

After a number of meetings with the Defence Minister & Civil Aviation Minister, the Ministry of Defence were to hand over land measuring 160.35 Acreas valued at Rs 26,03,10.438 on 10th October 2023 to the State Government of Odisha for the working permission to develop an Airport in Mayurbhanj. 5 Officers from Ministry of Defence came to Mayurbhanj for handing over the land to State Government, he said. 

"A proper coordination was also made with the concerned officers of State Government. About 2,000 local people witnessed this great moment but not a single representative of the Government of Odisha became ready to take over the land from the Ministry of Defence," said the MoS.

Bishweswar Tudu said that the Government of Odisha is quite negligent in the development of the State of Odisha. In any developmental project initiated by the Central Government, the attitude of the State Government has remained reluctant and non-cooperative, he added.