On June 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi waved a green flag in Bhilai to mark the beginning of the first commercial flight, launched under the Udaan regional air connectivity scheme, connecting Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur with Jagdalpur, in the left-wing extremism (LWE)-afflicted Bastar region.
The fact that the flag waving took place 300 kilometres away from Jagdalpur did not really matter, as the 18-seater Air Odisha flight passed through the celebratory water cannon salute on its arrival at Raipur from the renovated Jagdalpur airport. A road trip takes seven hours from Jagdalpur to Raipur. Eight passengers who boarded the flight reached Raipur in 40 minutes. Four passengers travelled back to Jagdalpur from Raipur. The distance between mainland Chhattisgarh and Bastar had shrunk, or so it appeared.
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In a region, where public transport system remains skeletal, an 18-seater flight whose one-way subsidised ticket costs more than the monthly income of many tribals, emanates a sense of sarcasm and elitism.
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The member of Parliament from Bastar, Dinesh Kashyap, flew with seven chosen passengers on the maiden flight. Among them were, as profiled by a pro-establishment newspaper, a villager from the Abujhmad area (considered to be the stronghold of the CPI-Maoist), a visually impaired girl student from another village in the Bastar region, a tribal woman tendu leaf collector, a school student who has qualified for admission into the IIT, a girl student who successfully cleared the NEET examination, another student studying law in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, and the sarpanch of Balikonta village panchayat. Each of them, interviewed by the media, profusely thanked the Prime Minister for having fulfilled their dream. The visibly impaired student also thanked the Prime Minister for the pucca house given to her family under the Prime Minister Housing Scheme. Four passengers flew from Raipur to Jagdalpur and were greeted by the airport staff with roses. The paraphernalia was complete with the massive hoardings put up in Jagdalpur’s busiest intersection, the Maharana Pratap Chowk by the state’s ruling party thanking chief minister Raman Singh and Prime Minister Modi.
Nine of the 18 seats have been subsidised by the Centre and cost Rs 1,700 to 1,800 each, whereas the remaining would cost Rs 2,500 to 3,000. A bus ticket, in comparison, costs Rs 330 upwards.
24/06/18 Bibhu Prasad Routray/The Wire
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The fact that the flag waving took place 300 kilometres away from Jagdalpur did not really matter, as the 18-seater Air Odisha flight passed through the celebratory water cannon salute on its arrival at Raipur from the renovated Jagdalpur airport. A road trip takes seven hours from Jagdalpur to Raipur. Eight passengers who boarded the flight reached Raipur in 40 minutes. Four passengers travelled back to Jagdalpur from Raipur. The distance between mainland Chhattisgarh and Bastar had shrunk, or so it appeared.
___________________________________
In a region, where public transport system remains skeletal, an 18-seater flight whose one-way subsidised ticket costs more than the monthly income of many tribals, emanates a sense of sarcasm and elitism.
___________________________________
The member of Parliament from Bastar, Dinesh Kashyap, flew with seven chosen passengers on the maiden flight. Among them were, as profiled by a pro-establishment newspaper, a villager from the Abujhmad area (considered to be the stronghold of the CPI-Maoist), a visually impaired girl student from another village in the Bastar region, a tribal woman tendu leaf collector, a school student who has qualified for admission into the IIT, a girl student who successfully cleared the NEET examination, another student studying law in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, and the sarpanch of Balikonta village panchayat. Each of them, interviewed by the media, profusely thanked the Prime Minister for having fulfilled their dream. The visibly impaired student also thanked the Prime Minister for the pucca house given to her family under the Prime Minister Housing Scheme. Four passengers flew from Raipur to Jagdalpur and were greeted by the airport staff with roses. The paraphernalia was complete with the massive hoardings put up in Jagdalpur’s busiest intersection, the Maharana Pratap Chowk by the state’s ruling party thanking chief minister Raman Singh and Prime Minister Modi.
Nine of the 18 seats have been subsidised by the Centre and cost Rs 1,700 to 1,800 each, whereas the remaining would cost Rs 2,500 to 3,000. A bus ticket, in comparison, costs Rs 330 upwards.
24/06/18 Bibhu Prasad Routray/The Wire
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