By Kavita Mistry 
The Odisha government on Saturday approved the ‘B-MAAN’ (Building and management of aviation assets and network) scheme with a total outlay of Rs 14,182 crore to make the state an aviation hub in eastern India, an official said.
A meeting of the Odisha Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, approved the B-MAAN scheme, an umbrella scheme for aviation sector development, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja said.
“The scheme aims to bring all aspects of aviation under one comprehensive framework. It is expected to position Odisha as a leading aviation hub in eastern India under the inclusive vision ‘Aviation for All’ (Samastanka pai biman seba)”, Ahuja said.
The major components of the scheme include infrastructure development and modernisation, air connectivity and viable gap funding (VGP), maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) ecosystem, emerging technologies and innovation, cargo and logistics development, capacity building and skill development and institutional strengthening, he said.
Explaining the scheme, the chief secretary said that the state government under the scheme will make provision of and other incentives to airlines to enhance regional air connectivity, linking tier-II and tier-III towns with major cities under UDAN and other schemes.
The state will also establish world-class MRO facilities at Biju Patnaik International Airport here and other strategic locations to create a self-reliant aviation maintenance ecosystem and attract private investment.
This apart, the state will also promote futuristic technologies such as drones, seaplanes, e-VTOL aircraft, and aerospace manufacturing, enabling Odisha to stay at the forefront of new-age aviation and green mobility, he said.
The chief secretary said that strengthening air cargo infrastructure will be part of the scheme under which agricultural exports, industrial logistics, and time-sensitive trade, to ensure Odisha’s deeper integration with national and global value chains.
The state will create large-scale employment opportunities through aviation-focused skilling, flight training, and specialised programmes for technicians, pilots – especially girls – and ground-handling professionals in partnership with reputed industry partners, he said.
Among other decisions taken by the Cabinet, the chief secretary said that a proposal of the Housing and Urban Development department has been accepted under which the Aahaar scheme (cheap meal of INR 5 scheme available in urban areas) will now be funded from the state budget instead of taking it from the CSR (corporate social responsibility) of industries and CMRF (chief minister relief fund).
A new scheme “Aahaai’ has been approved, with an outlay of INR 512 crore for five years from 2025-26 to 2030-31.
The Cabinet has approved a total of five proposals of four departments, he said.
