Raipur: Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, who was on a day visit to Raipur, on Sunday announced Bilaspur-Delhi flights will start from March 1.
Puri made the announcement while he was addressing a press conference on the Union Budget 2021-22 at the BJP's state office Kushabhau Thakre Parisar on Sunday.
The domestic flight services from Bilaspur town in Chhattisgarh will begin from March 1 under the regional connectivity scheme, Puri said.
He also said, his ministry has set a target of operationalizing 100 unserved and underserved airports and starting at least 1,000 air routes under the UDAN scheme.
He also stressed that privatization is required in the field of aviation as it is not the government's specialization to run airports.
"My ministry has set a target to operationalise 100 unserved and underserved airports and start at least 1,000 air routes under the UDAN scheme," the Union Aviation Minister said.
Out of 700 awarded routes, 56 airports have already been upgraded of which air-service has commenced on 311 routes under the UDAN scheme since it was launched in 2017, Puri added.
On this line, flight services will start from Bilaspur airport from March 1. At present, the Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India, has been given the Bilaspur- Prayagraj-Delhi route, he said.
Puri said, after the Union Budget 2021-22 was presented, the stock market witnessed a considerable boost and the budget also earned praise from intellectuals and independent commentators across the country.
He said, it is an historic budget in the last 70 years.
The Central Minister also lashed Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on Budget and status of Indian airlines, he said after making remarks Rahul realizes he made absurd remarks, so I refrain to say anything over it.
But as far as status of Indian airlines and privatization is concerned its economic condition was worsened during the Congress-led UPA government, and they started the process earlier, he added.
