‘Not viable’: Bhubaneswar metro project hangs in balance as Odisha govt cancels tender

“The metro project initiated by the previous government wouldn’t have been viable. Our government has formed an inter-minister committee to take a fresh look into the project by studying different aspects, its viability and to submit a fresh proposal before the project,” said the urban development minister.

Mohapatra said the state government would take up the project in consultation with the Centre unlike the BJD government that had decided to take it on its own.

Former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone of the project on January 1, 2024, months before the simultaneous polls. It was estimated to spend a whopping Rs 6,300 crore to develop the first phase of the project with a length of 26 km from Bhubaneswar Airport to Trisulia near Orissa high court in Cuttack with 20 stations and to extend it to Puri, Khurda and Cuttack subsequently.

It was decided to develop the metro rail track and stations on elevated viaduct.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation was roped in by the Odisha government to implement the project that floated the tender and engaged different agencies to take up the project.

Though ground work for the metro project was started, it hit hurdles after the BJP assumed power in Odisha on June 24.

Taking a dig at the BJP government over cancellation of the metro project as he said the double-engine government has “betrayed” the people of Odisha and the decision will push Bhubaneswar 10 years back.

“It has always been our dream to develop #Bhubaneswar into a world-class city. We have been focusing on world class sports infrastructure, organising marquee international events, providing seamless modern transport and developing the IT ecosystem to transform the temple city into a world class city,” wrote Patnaik on X.

Patnaik, in his post, wrote that the Bhubaneswar metro project would have reshaped the way city moves with #MoBus and other last mile connectivity complementing the city transport. “Apart from alleviating congestion inside the city significantly, it would have been a huge catalyst for the expansion of the city. Realising the urgent need of a Metro System for enhanced mobility, we had set a watertight timeline of 2027 for Phase 1 of the project,” he noted.