A government official on Monday (January 8) informed that the process of land acquisition for the Sri Jagannath International Airport in Puri is on track and is anticipated to be completed within the next six months. The international airport, spanning 1,164 acres, is expected to cost approximately Rs 5,631 crore.
Of the total land area, 68 acres are forest land, and 221.48 acres are privately owned in Sipasarubali and Sandhapur under the Brahmagiri tehsil. As of now, over 961 acres of land have been acquired, with ongoing efforts to acquire the remaining 221.48 acres of private land.
“We will complete the land acquisition in the next 6 months,” mentioned an official involved in the land acquisition process. The private land required for the project includes 153.37 acres in Sipasarubali and 68.11 acres in Sandhapur. Plans for the rehabilitation and resettlement of locals are also in progress.
Acquisition of private land
The project proposal, submitted after land identification and a favorable obstacle limitation surfaces (OLS) survey, has completed a public hearing for the acquisition of private land. When asked about the construction timeline, the official stated, “We are awaiting a few more clearances. It would start soon.”
Last year, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) granted site clearance approval for the Sri Jagannath International Airport project. This approval came a year after the government submitted all necessary requisites to the ministry, aligning with the Greenfield Airports (GFA) Policy of 2008.
International airport in Puri
Puri International Airport, proposed in Odisha, aims to primarily serve the Puri region. Currently, the closest airport to Puri is the Biju Patnaik Airport (IATA Code: BBI) in Bhubaneswar, situated around 64.6 kilometers away from the heritage city of Jagannath Puri.
In 2021, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to establish an international airport in Puri to promote Jagannath culture. Since then, Patnaik has consistently raised the issue with PM Modi, emphasizing the significance of the proposed airport for the region.