New Delhi [India], November 20 (HBTV): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai met Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan in New Delhi on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the leaders discussed strengthening air connectivity in Chhattisgarh and the development of regional airports. The Secretary to the Chief Minister, Rahul Bhagat, and the Investment Commissioner of Chhattisgarh, Ritu Sen, posted in New Delhi, were also present.

Earlier in October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the Maa Mahamaya Airport in Darima village of Chhattisgarh's Surguja district.

According to a government release, the air service is expected to usher in a new chapter for millions in Surguja and nearby districts, such as Jashpur, Surajpur, Balrampur, Korea, and Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur. Residents will now have easier access to major cities across the country, offering a cost-effective and time-saving travel option.

The Maa Mahamaya Airport connects the remote tribal district of Surguja with air services nationwide, the release mentioned. The upgrade of the airstrip at the airport in Ambikapur was undertaken under the Government of India's Regional Connectivity Scheme. Spanning 365 acres and constructed at a cost of INR 80 crore, the airport is classified as a 3C VFR category facility, capable of accommodating 72-seater aircraft. The terminal building has been expanded to handle an estimated 500,000 passengers annually, as per the release.

On November 14, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced the state's new Industrial Policy for 2024-2030, aimed at driving economic growth, generating employment, and fostering sustainable industrial development.

The new policy focuses on key areas such as employment generation, skill development, export promotion, investment attraction, and environmental protection. It also provides specific exemptions for women entrepreneurs, members of the third gender, Agniveer soldiers, retired ex-servicemen, entrepreneurs from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and surrendered Naxalites, offering them pathways into public and private sector employment. (ANI)