CM Naveen Patnaik on Friday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Modi for establishment of an airport at Puri in the name of ‘Sri Jagannath International Airport’, for which land has already been identified.
“Puri is organically linked to two Ramsar Sites- Chilika Lake (India’s first Ramsar site and UNESCO World Heritage site) on one side and Bhitarkanika National Park on other side. Both these locations have huge potential for international eco-tourism. Puri beach has been recently transformed into a Blue Flag beach with world-class experience for the tourists. Most of the historic Buddhist Heritage sites like Dhauli, Ratnagiri, etc with travel time within three hours from Puri, attract Buddhist pilgrims from across the world,” Patnaik said in the letter.“The coastal highway passes through this area and connects the Paradip Port (114 km away) and the greenfield Astarang Port (60km away). There is great potential for economic synergy along the entire corridor. We believe that Puri has potential to become a hub for spiritual, tourism and economic activities,” he mentioned.Patnaik also said Rath Yatra of Puri is a world-famous annual event attracting lakhs of pilgrims and visitors from across the world. The proposed airport would help bring Jagannath devotees from across the world to Puri.
