PM Modi to Inaugurate Purnea Airport in Bihar, Bolstering Regional Connectivity Ahead of Elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the new airport in Purnea, a move aimed at significantly boosting air connectivity in Bihar's Seemanchal region. This is the third major aviation project Modi has launched in the state, following the foundation stone laying for a new airport at Bihta and the inauguration of the new terminal building at Patna airport.

The inauguration comes ahead of the upcoming assembly elections and the festive season, during which a large number of migrants from Bihar return home for Diwali and Chhath Puja. Improved air travel options are expected to provide much-needed relief to this population.

The central government's UDAN scheme, launched in April 2017, has operationalized 625 new air routes connecting 90 airports across the country. However, Bihar has had a minimal share in this expansion. The new airport at Darbhanga, which became operational in November 2020 just before the last state election, also served as a critical connectivity point for the region.

State Government's Push for Air Travel

Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister, Samrat Choudhary, stated that apart from Purnea, four more airports are slated to begin operations under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) at Raxaul, Birpur, Sultanganj, and Rajgir. In June, the state government reduced the VAT on Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) from 29% to a more competitive 4% to attract more commercial flights.

"With this, air ticket prices will further reduce, and it will also attract more commercial flights in the state... it will further enhance state's revenue and will also generate employment," Choudhary, who holds the finance portfolio, told ET.

Opposition Questions Job Creation

The opposition, however, remains skeptical. Senior RJD leader Manoj Jha questioned the timing of the announcements, linking them to the impending elections. "Does it address the fundamental challenge of job creation and is it making the lives of the poor any better?" Jha told ET, arguing that the focus on new infrastructure appears to be an attempt to divert attention from the state's economic conditions, unemployment, and law and order issues.