Bhubaneswar, Sept. 5: The state-level co-ordination and monitoring committee today decided to make the Jeypore and Utkela airstrips operational within five months.

Once the airstrips are made operational, the state government wants to introduce flight services on the routes, such as Bhubaneswar-Utkela, Utkela-Raipur, Bhubaneswar-Jeypore, Bhubaneswar-Jharsuguda, Jharsuguda-Ranchi and Bhubaneswar-Rourkela.

Chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi, who presided over the meeting, directed the agencies concerned to expedite the work at these airstrips. He also advised director-general of police Rajendra Prasad Sharma to depute officers for airport security and fire service training in these two areas.

A target has already been set to develop the Jharsuguda airstrip into a full-phased airport by April next year.

Five airports or airstrips of the state have been selected for the central government's regional air connectivityscheme called Udan.

These are Bhubaneswar airport and the airstrips in Rourkela, Jharsuguda, Utkela (Kalahandi) and Jeypore (Koraput). Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar will serve as the mentor airport for all these airports across the state. The airports at Jharsuguda, Jeypore and Utkela will be developed jointly by Airports Authority of India Limited and the state government, while the Rourkela Steel Plant has been requested to make the Rourkela airstrip ready for operational under the Udan scheme.

The state government is providing the manpower and financial support to make the regional connectivity scheme viable. It has also decided to reduce the value added tax (VAT) on aviation fuel from 5 per cent to 1 per cent and provide 20 per cent of the viable gap funding in its construction. The state government will also provide land, security and fire services for these airports. Around 44 security personnel and nine fire service personnel will be deployed in each airport. The state also promises to provide electricity and water supply to these facilities at minimum rate.

The state government is also expected to provide subsidies to these airports even after their construction to keep the air tickets affordable. The average price of a ticket to be paid by the passengers for flights on these routes will be around Rs 2,500, said an official source.