'Unrealistic' criteria for aviation centre sparks row

EVEN as the Centre continues to push its flagship Make-in-India initiative aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing and services, several Indian Flight Training Organisations (FTOs) have raised concerns over being excluded from bidding for a key aviation project in Odisha due to stringent financial criteria set by the state government.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar

The Odisha government has invited bids for operating the upcoming Biju Patnaik Aviation Centre (BPAC) in Dhenkanal district, envisioned as a major infrastructure project to strengthen the state's aviation training capacity.

Many domestic FTOs during a pre-bid meeting with the Commerce and Transport department officials alleged that the high financial threshold for eligibility has rendered them ineligible to participate, stalling the very spirit of indigenous capability-building that the state wants to promote.