Odisha to set up Rs 562 cr aviation centre to meet future demand for pilots

The Odisha government has decided to set up a Rs 562-crore aviation training centre to meet future demand for pilots and skilled personnel in the sector, a minister said.

A proposal to set up Biju Patnaik Aviation Centre (BPAC) at Birasal airstrip in Dhenkanal district was approved at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday.

The proposed centre will provide training for pilots, simulators and cabin crew, Revenue Minister Sudam Marndi told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

The training centre will be established in accordance with the Civil Aviation Policy-2022 of the state government, he said.

India faces a pressing need to consistently produce 2,000 pilots annually over the next 20 years to meet the escalating demand, and the aviation training centre aims at creating 500 professionals annually, an official said.

The proposed training institute will significantly benefit the local economy and support the growth in the tourism and hospitality sector, the minister said.

Higher Education Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Development Commissioner Anu Garg were present at the press briefing.

The cabinet also approved the amendment to the NUA-O (Nutanm Unnata Abhilasa-Odisha) scholarship guidelines to broaden its scope.

After the amendment to the guidelines, students pursuing various non-technical undergraduate and postgraduate courses in institutions will be eligible to avail of the scholarship.

A total of 17 proposals from different departments were approved by the council of ministers at the meeting.

The state government will develop Ama Bus Stands' in all blocks of Odisha in six years and will spend Rs 6,164.80 crore till the 2028-29 fiscal for developing 318 bus stands across the state under the scheme.