The Odisha Development Forum (ODF) organised a public awareness campaign meeting in front of the Biju Patnaik statue here in Deshibehera Sahi, Badbazar area which is predominated by elite business community to garner public support, sources said. During the campaign, the forum members and members of other social organisations urged both the Central and State Government to expedite the official process required for establishment of a green field airport at Brahmapur at the earliest keeping public perceptions in mind. The members of the forum also expressed their  deep dissatisfaction with the fact that the Government of Odisha establishing airports under the UDDAN scheme in Rourkela (which is located only 90 km  from Jharsuguda Airport), Utkela, Puri (which is located only 56 km from Bhubaneswar), in small towns like Paradip, Jaipur, but not the heritage city in Brahmapur which is the second largest urban cluster in Odisha with urban agglomeration and an emerging city in the eastern coast of India which is also the commercial and educational hub of South Odisha.

The Brahmapur public will certainly give their response to the Government through ballots in future, if the Government does not give clearance and approval for the same, the forum cautioned. On the occasion, many distinguished persons from various walks of life spoke including  forum secretary Swarajya Sahu, senior members Laxmi Narayan Padhi, V Someshwar Rao, Tuna Maharana, Prakash Pradhan, VS Bashan, senior member of Bahumukhi Samaj Mangal Kendra Manas Patra, Utkal Samaj State  secretary Saroj Pattnaik, Preetish Panigrahi, Balakrishna Samantaraya, Madhusudan Sahu, students of various colleges, members of Ganjam District Agents Association and other activists.