Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has stepped up efforts to ensure speedy implementation of the ambitious Bhubaneswar–Kataka–Puri–Paradip Economic Region (BKPPER) Project.
Chairing a high-level meeting on the proposed BKPPER project in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, Chief Secretary Anu Garg called the initiative a major growth engine for the state’s economic development. The meeting discussed progress of the project and the next course of action.
Stressing that the BKPPER project would play a crucial role in accelerating infrastructure development and attracting investment, Garg said it will generate employment and promote economic growth through an integrated regional development approach. She underlined the need for coordinated efforts among all government departments to ensure timely and effective implementation.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department Usha Padhee presented an overview of progress under various components of the project and outlined priority areas requiring attention to meet the stipulated timelines.
She said the project would make a major contribution to Odisha’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and support the objectives of Viksit Bharat 2047. The government aims to develop BKPIPER as a global model for sustainable and inclusive regional economic development, Padhee said.
The meeting stressed the importance of developing the region as an inclusive, sustainable and globally competitive economic hub, with coordinated interventions in multimodal transportation, affordable housing, climate-resilient infrastructure and urban regeneration.
The BKPPER plan is among the four major pilot projects in the country prepared under the Government of India’s City Economic Region (CER) initiative. During the meeting of state secretaries, officials reviewed 269 projects across 19 departments, identified by NITI Aayog in coordination with various departments for implementation under the initiative.
The project seeks to integrate the economic strengths of the region, including Bhubaneswar’s IT and technology sector, traditional businesses, tourism and cultural assets, with the port-based industries and logistics potential of the surrounding areas.
Officials also reviewed the progress of individual projects, inter-departmental coordination mechanisms and the mapping of projects on the PM Gati Shakti portal. The meeting also discussed the roadmap for taking the initiative forward.
The proposed economic region covers four districts—Khordha, Kataka, Puri and Jagatsinghpur—and 19 urban areas. The broader objective is to transform the region into an inclusive, liveable and sustainable economic region with integrated infrastructure and improved economic opportunities.
The BKPPER project is likely to generate more than four million non-agricultural jobs and attract over US$400 billion in corporate investment. The meeting also examined areas of cooperation between the Government of India and the Odisha government for implementing the mega project. The Asian Development Bank (ADB)has been proposed as a financing partner for the initiative.
The state government has also moved to strengthen the institutional framework for the project. The Capital Economic Region Development Authority (CERDA) recently received Cabinet approval and is expected to oversee integrated regional management, including planning, project implementation, financial management and investment mobilisation across the BKPPER region.
The meeting was attended by Development Commissioner Deoranjan Kumar Singh, and Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Commissioners-cum-Secretaries, Secretaries and senior officials from the departments concerned.
