By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Former Union Minister and Hotel Mayfair Group Chairman, Dilip Ray on Wednesday congratulate people of Odisha on getting back their Dakota along with expressed gratitude to the Naveen Patnaik led Odisha Government for doing the needful to place this priceless piece of our history to its rightful place.
‘Very Happy to know that Biju Babu’s iconic #DAKOTA (DC-3) has been finally brought back to Odisha. The epitome of Odia pride & honour, anything associated with the legendary Statesman holds a very special place in the heart of 4.5 Crores Odias,’ Ray said in a social media post.
‘This heritage aircraft carries with it a lot of memories of Biju Babu and is an embodiment of his daredevilry. It is an story of Odia bravery that needs to be told to generations of Odias to come. I congratulate people of Odisha on getting back their Dakota along with expressing gratitude to the Govt. of Odisha for doing the needful to place this priceless piece of our history to its rightful place,” Ray added.
Meanwhile, Joys and Jubilations spread across Odisha following reports of transport of iconic Dakota aircraft of former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.
The aircraft reached the state from the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, on Wednesday morning.
The dismantled aircraft carried on three lorries crossed the Laxmannath Toll Plaza in Jaleswar of Balasore district, this morning. The process for transporting the aircraft commenced from on Tuesday.
Earlier, Airport Authority of India (AAI) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation , had agreed to hand over 1.1 acre land on the premises of the Biju Patnaik International Airport here.
Biju Patnaik, had set up Kalinga Airlines that operated from Kolkata. The private airline operated nearly a dozen airplanes, including Dakotas. The aircraft, which is 64 feet and 8 inches long, with its wings stretching to 95 feet, dismantled for transportation by road to Bhubaneswar from the Kolkata airport.
