For expansion of Jharsuguda airport, the Odisha government has asked the Jharsuguda district collector to identify 119 acre of land there. In a letter to the district collector, the government last week stated that the land should be identified according to the demand and revised master plan of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for expansion of Jharsuguda airport, spread over 909.22 acre.

To convert it into a full-fledged airport, the AAI needs additional 275.75 acre. The first phase plan includes acquisition of 119 acre for the purpose, said a senior government officer. Collector of Jharsuguda Niranjan Sahu said that they have already received the letter and efforts are on to identify and acquire the required land.

It would include government, private and a patch of forest land, Sahu said, adding that the proposed expansion of the Jharsuguda airport would help in the operations of domestic flights. The government had earlier made a similar attempt for expansion of Jeypore airstrip. It had sent a letter to Koraput collector to identify 910 acre for developing the airstrip there.