Bhubaneswar: A couple of days after the Centre revealed that Bhubaneswar Metro rail project did not feature among proposals received or approved, Odisha’s Housing and Urban Development Minister, Krushna Chandra Mahapatra on Saturday asserted that the government is earnestly planning a feasible metro project for the state capital.
He clarified that the previous BJD government did not seek central assistance as it had planned a fully state-funded Rs 5,000 crore project connecting Biju Patnaik International Airport with Trisulia Square. “Our government intends to execute it as a joint venture with the Centre’s help. We have reimagined the Metro train project differently from the past government’s plan, which was not feasible. A new DRP will be prepared and sent to the Centre for approval,” he said.
Mahapatra also questioned the practicality of this route. “Why would people travel from the airport to Trisulia Square? An inter-ministerial committee has already discussed the new plan, with another review scheduled to finalise the next steps. It cannot proceed without the Centre’s assistance,” he added.
The Minister had earlier announced that the metro rail project will be extended up to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack with support from the Centre.
Meanwhile, the state government has terminated the contract given to Ceigall India Ltd and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd for part design and construction of elevated viaduct and six elevated stations between Nanadan Vihar and Trisulia for the first phase of the metro project.
On Thursday, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Tokhan Sahu, in response to a query by TDP MP Sribharat Mathukumilli, told Lok Sabha that 24 metro projects are currently at various stages of implementation, in addition to the 17 approved by the Centre, over the last five years. No such proposal has been received from the Odisha government for the Bhubaneswar Metro project, he added.
Following which, the BJD raised concerns over the Odisha government’s ambiguous approach to the implementation of the project. “There has been no progress in the project in the last 13 months though the previous BJD government had already prepared a DRP and laid the foundation stone for it. The state government has issued inconsistent statements regarding the Metro since coming to power,” BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty told a presser on Friday.
He further asserted that central approval was not required, as the previous BJD government had committed to executing the project using state funds.