August 26th 2024.
Sunday was a day of disappointment for the people of Rourkela as the Odisha Governor, Raghubar Das, had to abruptly cancel his visit to the city due to bad weather conditions. Despite his determination to meet Union Minister Jual Oram and offer his condolences for the recent loss of his wife, the eight-seater aircraft carrying the governor was unable to land at the airport here.
The inclement weather made it impossible for the aircraft to safely touch down, forcing the pilot to keep circling the airport for more than 20 minutes. In an effort to make the trip still possible, the decision was made to fly to Jharsuguda instead. However, after careful consideration, the pilot decided it was too risky and returned to Bhubaneswar.
This unfortunate incident has once again brought to light the inadequate facilities at the Rourkela airport. It is believed that if there was an instrument landing system in place, the aircraft could have landed without any trouble. Bimal Bisi, president of Sachetan Nagarik Manch, expressed his disappointment and called it a huge embarrassment for the city. He also pointed out that despite promises of all-weather connectivity, Rourkela continues to face such challenges.
Bisi further highlighted the irony of this situation, as the current government has two engines, yet they have not been able to address this issue. Before the state's Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, BJP leader Manmohan Samal had raised concerns about the failure of the Naveen Patnaik-led government to acquire land from SAIL for the installation of an instrument landing system. However, with the government now in power, it is unclear why the ILS has still not been installed.
A local BJP leader, who wished to remain anonymous, questioned the government's inaction on this matter. This incident has caused disappointment and frustration among the people of Rourkela, who have been eagerly waiting for better air connectivity. It is now up to the authorities to take necessary steps and ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.
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