Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has written to civil aviation minister Hardeep Puri urging him to help connect Bilaspur to Delhi-Mumbai-Kolkata air route.
Bilaspur is a major hub of trade and commerce in the northern region of Chhattisgarh and also connects the northern districts of the state, said CM Baghel in his letter to the Central minister.
Citing the importance of Bilaspur city, the CM stated that South Eastern Coal Field Limited Headquarters, South East Central Railway Zonal Headquarters, and Raipur Railway Division are situated in Bilaspur.
“The city is one of the important centers of power production in the country. The NTPC in Seepat and many Power Production Plants in Korba and Janjgir-Champa are also situated close to this city. Besides, there are many industrial areas near Bilaspur, which make an important contribution to the economy of the state. If Bilaspur is connected to metro cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata via air services, the regional air connectivity would improve and it would also boost the nation’s economy, trade, commerce, tourism, and health sectors and promote socio-economic activities,” the letter stated.
On Monday, CM Baghel launched flight services from Maa Danteshwari airport in Jagdalpur under the Centre’s UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme.
Alliance Air will operate services to Raipur, some 300 kilometers away, and Hyderabad from the Danteshwari airport, which is named after the famous Goddess Danteshwari temple in Dantewada in tribal-dominated Bastar division.
The Maa Danteshwari airport in Jagdalpur has been set up on an area of 57.6 hectares, with the state Public Works Department having developed the infrastructure and AAI managing the Air Traffic Control.
