Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patanik on Tuesday inaugurated a new airport in Malkangiri in the southwestern part of the state. The aiport is developed at a cost of Rupees 70 crore and is spread over an area of 233 acres and has a runway with a length of 1,620 meters and a width of 30 meters. 


The airport is located Katelguda in Goudaguda panchayat area. 


"Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik inaugurated an airport in Malkangiri today. This has fulfilled the dreams of the people of Malkangiri. The Chief Minister expressed hope that this will lead to massive growth in communication, tourism and trade in the district and surrounding areas," said the Chief Minister's Office in a statement. 


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In the initial phase, nine seater aircraft are likely to operate from the airport, an official told news agency PTI. 


With this, the number of total operational airports in the state has gone up to seven. The other six are located in Bhubaneswar, Jharsuguda, Jeypore in Koraput, Utkela in Kalahandi, Rourkela in Sundergarh and Rangeilunda in Ganjam.


Speaking at the event, Patnaik said the new airport was a "dream come true" for the people of the tribal-dominated Swabiman Anchal, once considered the hotbed of Maoist activities. 


"The air connectivity to Malkangiri will usher in a new era of development, open up avenues of business and tourism, and further transform the lives of the people in the region," he said, as per the PTI report. 


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5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman, V Karthik Pandian was also present during the inauguration.


The authorities from Bhubaneswar's Biju Patnaik International airport extended necessary technincal assistance in the operationalisation of the Malkangiri airport, officials said, according to PTI.


The Odisha CM also announced a Rs 4,000-crore integrated irrigation project at Govindpalli, which will help irrigate 92,815 acre of agricultural land and provide drinking water to 1.5 lakh people, reported PTI. The work on the project will begin by July this year, according to an official.   


This was the second visit by Patnaik to the region in a span of three months after the CM visited the district in October last year to launch affordable bus services.