Four locations in Odisha are among the 54 potential sites for airport development under the UDAN 5.0 scheme, which aims to connect wildlife sanctuaries, tourist destinations, and religious sites. The sites—Baripada, Konark, Hirakud, and Malkangiri—were chosen after considering their proximity to tourist, wildlife, and spiritual destinations. Although no Odisha location was included in the list of 10 proposed sites chosen for their proximity to wildlife sanctuaries, Malkangiri and Hirakud were included among 29 sites chosen for their proximity to tourist destinations. Similarly, Konark and Baripada are among 15 locations identified for airport development due to their proximity to religious sites. The fifth phase of the UDAN scheme aims to add or revitalise airstrips near sanctuaries and tourist destinations. Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar are the largest beneficiaries of the fifth phase. While 11 airstrips from Madhya Pradesh have been included in the scheme, 10 are from Rajasthan and seven from Bihar.
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