GUWAHATI, March 12 � Governor Janaki Ballav Patnaik inaugurated a private airline � Purbayan Airlines � a unit of Purbayan Group (P) Ltd, at a function held here today.
In his inaugural speech as the chief guest of the function, the Governor said, �I am glad to learn that it is the first airline company by local entrepreneurs. They have brought the chartered airline services to Assam and the North East India for the first time with a view to boost the travel and tourism sectors in the region. The present launching of the airline is from Guwahati to Silchar and Silchar to Guwahati twice daily and thus it would fill up the gap to some extent for fastest travel between the two places and two valleys � the Brahmaputra and Barak valleys.�
Stressing on the poor connectivity between Guwahati and Silchar, the Governor said, �Unfortunately, the connectivity between the two places, be it air, road or rail communication, is very poor. Still a meter gauge railway line connects Silchar to Lumding and thereafter a broad gauge to Guwahati. Barring a very few places, all meter gauge rail lines have been converted into broad gauge in the country but the present conversion has taken a pretty long time and nobody is sure as to when it would be completed though 2015 is the new targeted time. Similarly, the four-lane road communication between Guwahati and Silchar is yet to be completed and it has crossed the targeted date many times.�
He further said, �Communication is the most important factor for economic and educational development of a State. The cry of the present time is a network of communication between the two valleys.�
�Air communication, similarly, is also very poor and only two airline services are available and very often such services also are suspended for various reasons, putting the passengers into great inconvenience. Under the circumstances, efforts initiated by Purbayan Airlines are praiseworthy. I commend this enterprising and adventurous spirit.�
Hans Kumar, director of Pataliputra Aviation, Bijoy Kumar Nath, Director, Jugashankha Group and Kaushik Biswas, CEO, Purbayan Group were also present on the occasion among others.
