Now Reading: BJD attacks Centre over Bhubaneswar airport privatisation plan
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BJD attacks Centre over Bhubaneswar airport privatisation plan
The Biju Janata Dal has condemned a reported Central government proposal to lease the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar to a private entity under a public-private partnership. BJD MLA and former…
The Biju Janata Dal has condemned a reported Central government proposal to lease the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar to a private entity under a public-private partnership. BJD MLA and former minister Dibya Shankar Mishra said the airport, named after legendary leader Biju Patnaik, is profitable and worth an estimated Rs 5,000-7,000 crore.
Mishra stated that the airport handles about 50 lakh passengers annually and generated a profit of Rs 238 crore for the government in 2022-23, with future profits expected to exceed Rs 500 crore. He accused the BJP-led Central government of handing over a valuable public asset on a 50-year lease, asking whose interest the decision served.
The BJD demanded the government withdraw the order immediately and said it would launch a strong agitation against the decision. Mishra argued that instead of privatising a profitable airport, the Centre should invest funds in its further development to generate even greater revenue.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The BJD's protest is the latest flashpoint in a long-running pattern: regional parties in both Odisha and Karnataka have objected to airport privatisation plans. The Centre's PPP model aims to unlock private capital for infrastructure, but profitable airports like Bhubaneswar's become political symbols. The state's former chief minister Naveen Patnaik had overseen the airport's expansion, making the sale sensitive for his successor government. The BJD's agitation, and whether other regional parties support it, will test the BJP's ability to push its privatisation agenda ahead of the 2029 general election. The Airports Authority of India will need to respond formally to the demand to withdraw the order.
Source: thehindu.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
