Bhubaneswar: BJD president and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik’s flight to Nuapada was delayed by around 25 minutes due to traffic clearance issues, according to Bhubaneswar Airport Director Prasanna Pradhan.
The delay sparked allegations from BJD leaders, who claimed that the authorities intentionally delayed granting flight clearance to disrupt Patnaik’s scheduled roadshow and public meeting in Nuapada.
However, Pradhan attributed the delay to the flight operator’s failure to submit the flight plan, which led to the unavailability of the Air Defense clearance number. “We coordinated and got the number from Kolkata, resulting in a 25-minute delay,” Pradhan explained.
Later, Patnaik landed in helipad at around 12.30 PM at Khariar Road in Nuapada. The BJD supremo is set to hold a massive road show, canvassing for the party candidate Snehangini Chhuria.
