Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Tuesday gave in-principle approval to setting up an airport at Dhamra in Bhadrak district.

The approval was accorded at a meeting presided over by Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi.

The Adani Group had proposed to set up the airport at Dhamra Port for better air connectivity for the state.

Padhi directed the Dhamra port authorities to set up a community hospital for the benefit of people living on the port's periphery.

The state also plans to develop port-based industries at Dhamra.

The Chief Secretary directed Bhadrak District Collector Gyan Ranjan Das to identify the land required for the purpose.

Das told the meeting via videoconferencing that 500 acres for industrial use had been identified and another 444 acres for the proposed airport. (IANS)