Bhubaneswar: Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra on Sunday dismissed BJD’s criticism over delay in Bhubaneswar Metro project, citing poor prior planning.
“Who would have travelled to Trisulia from Bhubaneswar? Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has already constituted a committee led by Deputy CM Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, to study alternative models. The inter-ministerial committee will visit different places where metros are operational and accordingly, a decision was taken. It will also come up with a comprehensive mobility plan for the city,” he said, stressing the need to make the project viable and increase its network.
Emphasising that Metro connectivity is essential for Bhubaneswar due to its rapid urban growth, rising traffic congestion and increasing population, he said that the state government will seek Centre’s help and technology to execute the project.
The Minister further stated that the government is looking at immediate measures to ease the traffic congestion as the metro project could take 5 years. “The previous BJD government had planned the entire Metro Corridor from Bhubaneswar Airport to Trisulia on an elevated corridor. But traffic snarl-up is common on this route. Therefore, an overbridge between Kalpana Square and Nandankanan is being planned first as part of the Greater Bhubaneswar initiative. Once this is completed, a final decision on the metro project will be taken. This kind of infrastructure is long-term in nature and requires patience,” he added.
On Saturday, former chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik had express concern over the fate of the metro rail, suspended for over four months, after it was reported that the BJP government had scrapped the contract for the project launched during his tenure.
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Former state Congress president Niranjan Patnaik termed the development “disappointing”.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), the project’s turn-key consultant, recently scrapped the tenders awarded to Ranjit Buildcon Ltd and Ceigall India Ltd for constructing the elevated corridor following the state government’s decision to revise the detailed project report (DPR).
The contracts for the 7.12 km Capital Hospital-Acharya Vihar Square stretch (Rs 561 crore) and the 7.27 km Acharya Square-KIIT Square stretch (Rs 625 crore) was assigned to Ranjit Buildcon Ltd, and the 10.97 km KIIT Square-Trisulia Square stretch (Rs 899 crore) to Ceigall India Ltd.
In a stock exchange disclosure on Saturday, Ceigall India Ltd, which received the letter of acceptance for part design and construction of the viaduct and six elevated stations in the first phase, said the termination letter was issued on Friday.
A Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) official said that tenders were scrapped due to changes in the project plan and to avoid idling manpower during the suspension of construction. However, the metro project remains active, with the DMRC partnership intact, and work will resume once the revised DPR is finalised, the official added.
The phase-I project, spanning 26 km from Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar to Trisulia in Cuttack, was to come up at a cost Rs 6,225 crore.