Indigo to begin direct international flights from Bhubaneswar to Dubai, Singapore and Bangkok

The Odisha cabinet gave its approval to a plan to start direct flights from Bhubaneswar to Dubai, Singapore, and Bangkok. S.C. Mohapatra, the chief secretary of Odisha, informed the media in this location that IndiGo would begin operating 186-seater direct flights from the Biju Patnaik International Airport to Dubai, Singapore, and Bangkok. The entire cost of direct flight operations from Bhubaneswar to the aforementioned overseas locations will be covered by the state government. In its place, he said, the government of Odisha will keep the money made from ticket sales. 

"We hope the flight services will start in the next one or one-and-a-half months," Mahapatra said. Meanwhile, the Cabinet also approved the Odisha MSME Development Policy 2022, which will replace the existing Odisha MSME Development Policy 2016. For the development of agriculture, the state Cabinet has approved two schemes under which the government will spend more than Rs 1,500 crore to boost agricultural activities in the state.

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The Cabinet has also approved a provision of Rs 1,142.24 crore for four years from 2022-23 to 2025-26 for the implementation of the state scheme - Development of Potato, Vegetable, and Spices - with the involvement of women SHGs and farmer producer organisations (FPOs), Mahapatra said.

The scheme is being introduced with the objective to provide financial assistance to the farmers for the cultivation of potato, onions, hybrid vegetables, and spices in order to make the state self-sufficient in the production of five vegetables (potato, onion, tomato, cauliflower & cabbage) along with an increase in area and production under spices, he said.

Similarly, the state government has approved Rs 367.19 crore for five years from 2022-23 to 2026-27 for the implementation of another state sector scheme - `Empowerment of Women in Agriculture, Promotion of Entrepreneurship for Women SHG.` The Cabinet has also approved the principles for one-time settlement (OTS) of arrear water rate dues of industries and commercial establishments.

Further, the state government has approved a tender of Rs 344.67 crore and operation and maintenance costs for five years amounting to Rs 3.42 crore for the construction of in-stream storage structures across river Mahanadi at Choudhury Gada in Jagatsinghpur district and across river Paika at Tikhiri in Kendrapara district. The work is planned to be completed in 36 months.

Another tender worth Rs 357.92 crore has also been approved by the Cabinet for the execution of mega piped water supply projects to provide safe drinking water to the people of Angul district.

With IANS inputs