Rourkela, March 6: India’s downstream petroleum refining and marketing major Indian Oil Corporation’s 100th Aviation Fuel Station (AFS) at Rourkela in Sundergarh district was inaugurated by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday.
Speaking at the inaugural function, Pradhan emphasized that the indigenously developed AFS is in line with the “Make In India” initiative by the Government of India.
He said that Rourkela AFS will contribute immensely towards the development of the state, particularly Western Odisha.
The Union Minister mentioned that this facility, will serve the backward areas by connecting them to the mainstream.
This is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,” he said.
The minister exuded confidence that Odisha in few years time will be counted as one of the top industrially developed States of India.
BS Canth, Director (Marketing) Indian Oil Corporation Limited said that the new AFS will encourage other commercial aircrafts to refuel and operate from Rourkela thus making it a new commercial hub in eastern India.
At present, private operators with helicopters and smaller aircraft operate from Rourkela airport with current estimated fuel volume of 25 KL.
On account of non availability of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) at Rourkela, aircraft operating through Rourkela, were being refueled from nearby airports like Ranchi (225 km), Jamshedpur(303 km), Bhubaneswar(320 km), Raipur(450 km), Nagpur(602 km) or Gaya (419 km).
With the inauguration of the Rourkela AFS, these aircrafts can now be refueled at Rourkela, paving the path for more aircrafts to operate and refuel at Rourkela.
