Bhubaneswar, April 24: The Odisha government today decided to call a meet of prospective international flight operators to obtain their willingness for operating flights between Bhubaneswar and different international locations. A decision for international flight operation was taken at a meeting chaired by chief secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik today.

Earlier, international airline operators such as Fly Dubai, Air Asia, Deccan Air services had shown interest for conducting a market survey to assess the profitability of international air flights to and from Bhubaneswar.

“We have asked the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation to organise a national-level workshop involving the Union ministries of civil aviation and home, Air India and private airlines for showcasing Odisha’s perspectives and opportunities in international flight operations,” Patnaik said.

The workshop is likely to be organised by May end and the corporation has been asked to prepare a draft civil aviation plan and road map and put before the state government for necessary approval.

Coal corridor

The Odisha government has decided to develop a common railway corridor to transport coal in the Angul-Chhendipada-Talcher belt.

Rites, a Central government-owned engineering company, has been asked to prepare the alignment plan within a month. The Talcher coal belt has 10 coal blocks, which will be connected with a common railway corridor, to transport coal. Jarpada-Kasidih- Machakuta-New Patrapada- Nuagan-Telisahi and Kasidih-Mandakini coal blocks are to be covered under this corridor.

'The proposed common corridor will reduce land acquisition problems and save space for other infrastructure development,' said a senior government official.