PM Modi set to open Purnea Airport in poll-bound Bihar

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 15, will inaugurate the Purnea airport in the Seemanchal region of Bihar. This will be the third such inauguration. Earlier Modi has laid the foundation stone of a new airport at Bihta near Patna and inaugurated the new terminal building of Patna airport.

Wirth assembly elections around and festive season around, connectivity becomes an important aspect for a state like Bihar with a high migrant population. The migrants tend to visit the state during Diwali and Chhath Puja. Inaugurating new routes will provide more options to the migrant population who plan to come home.

In April 2017, the central government launched the UDAN scheme promoting regional air connectivity. By April this year 625 new air routes were operationalised connecting 90 airports. However, Bihar had negligible share in the new air route. In November 2020, before the assembly election, the new airport at Darbhanga became operational.


Bihar deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary says that apart from Purnia four more airports will be started under regional connectivity scheme (RCS) at Raxaul, Birpur, Sultanganj and Rajgir. In June, the state government reduced the VAT on air turbine fuel (ATF) from a whooping 29 per cent to 4 per cent to boost air connectivity. Earlier the 4 per cent VAT on ATF was available only at the Gaya airport.

"The decision has been taken by the state cabinet under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS). With this the air ticket prices will further reduce, and it will also attract more commercial flights in the state....it will further enhance state's revenue and will also generate employment," Choudhary who holds the finance portfolio, told ET.

The opposition however questions the job creation aspect of it.

"Several announcements are being made in the wake of upcoming elections. But does it address the fundamental challenge of job creation and is it making the lives of the poor any better. At the time of election, it seems to be an idea to overlook the situation of the state economy, unemployment and lawlessness," senior RJD leader Manoj Jha told ET.