The national highway connecting Bhubaneswar with Kolkata. To catch a glimpse of the broken Dakota plane used by legendary leader Biju Patnaik.
Three vehicles carrying the wreckage of the plane crossed. The Lakshmannath toll plaza. On the Odisha-West Bengal border and reached Jaleswar early today.
And then stationed at a designated spot. At the international airport here. Named after Biju Patnaik, father of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The plane was abandoned for decades on the premises of Kolkata’s. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.
The plane weighed 8 tons and was about 64 feet 8 inches long.
The Odisha government has deputed a special team to reassemble the broken parts. After the cars reached Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) has allotted 1.1 acres of land at BPIA Bhubaneswar for this purpose.
Biju Patnaik founded Kalinga Airlines, which operated. About a dozen Dakotas from its headquarters in Kolkata.
Prasanna Pradhan. Director of Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA). Said the plane had undergone a lot of wear and tear over the years.
Historian Anil Dhir says he was very fond of Dakota plane.
He used a Dakota plane to rescue then Indonesian Prime. Minister Sutan Zahrir in April 1947, Mr. Dhir said.
A grateful Indonesia twice conferred its highest civilian honor ‘Bhumiputra’. On his for this achievement.
This pilot was also a member of the Royal Indian Air Force under British rule. He secretly flew Indian freedom fighters from one place to another, historians say.
