Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to upgrading the Rourkela Airport and expanding the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), citing these projects as pillars of a broader strategy for regional industrial and infrastructural growth.
During a visit to the city, CM Majhi highlighted Rourkela’s dual identity as a critical steel manufacturing hub and a rapidly developing smart city.
The Chief Minister noted that upgrading the airport to Category C status has been a long-standing demand of the local people, with facilities for handling moderate traffic and less than 3 million passengers every year.
Currently, the airport’s operations are restricted by a single 1,930-meter runway, which prevents larger commercial aircraft from landing.
“There is a proper coordination between the Centre and the state for the upgradation of the Rourkela airport,” the CM said.
In addition to aviation, the CM said he has held personal discussions with RSP management and state steel department officials the plant’s strategic expansion.
The Union Steel Minister and his team have already conducted a comprehensive review in Rourkela, followed by high-level talks with state authorities.
To expedite these efforts, the state has formed a dedicated task force under the chairmanship of Development Commissioner DK Singh, CM Majhi announced on Wednesday.
“The task force led by Singh has already made three visits to Rourkela. We are holding discussions, and things are moving in a positive direction. These matters were neglected in the past, but since our government came to power, we have made significant progress,” Majhi said, asserting that the ‘double engine’ government would ensure the completion of the two projects soon.
The RSP, which currently operates at a capacity of 4.5 million tons per annum (MTPA), has already initiated the groundwork to more than double its output to 9.5 MTPA by 2030.
