Chief minister Naveen Patnaik at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a housing project at Niladri Vihar in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, May 3: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today said that the state government had provided 40acres for installation of a Mobile Pulse Doppler Radar (MPDR) in Sambalpur.

Naveen announced this while laying the foundation stone of a housing project launched by the Air Force Naval Housing Board at Chandrasekharpur.

The defence officials said: “The Indian Air Force has chosen Hirakud in Sambalpur to install the MPDR as it is situated on a higher altitude. The purpose to set up a radar at a higher place is that everything can be monitored from here while none can look at it.

Moreover, Naveen announced that efforts were on to provide land for establishing an operational base of the Indian Air Force at Charbatia. The IAF has given a proposal to set up an air base station for Rs 5,000 crore at Charbatia.

Naveen said: “I am happy that the Air Force and the Navy have set up a housing board to provide affordable dwelling units on no loss and no profit basis for serving and retired personnel and also widows.”

The Chandrasekharpur project is the first initiative of the board for which the state government has allotted four acres. As many as 256 dwelling units have been planned in this area.

Stating that the state government adopted several policies and schemes for welfare of the former servicemen and their families, Naveen said: “Apart from various ex-gratia provisions, there is also provision of reservation for kids of the serving and retired defence personnel in professional and technical colleges.”

Union minister of state for defence M.M. Palam Raju said: “The state government is very proactive in helping the defence organisations.”

Air Marshal J.N. Burma, wing commander Bikash Kanungo, Lok Sabha member Prasanna Patsani and others attended the event.