Odisha to form technical committee, to seek Centre’s support for Metro rail project: Minister

Bhubaneswar, Aug 14 (PTI) The Odisha government has decided to set up a technical committee comprising senior officers and experts to draft a fresh and comprehensive plan for the proposed Bhubaneswar Metro rail project, a minister said on Thursday.

The decision was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo.

The earlier project plan prepared by the previous BJD government has been scrapped and a fresh one will be designed and executed with support from the Centre, Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra said.

"We will form a technical committee including department secretaries, officers, and experts. They will visit other metro-operating cities to study best practices and prepare a new route plan, identify parking spaces, and finalise other infrastructure needs," Mahapatra told reporters.

A fresh Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be prepared based on the committee’s findings, and the Centre’s support will be sought for the project’s execution, he added.

Singh Deo emphasised the importance of studying Metro systems in other cities, pointing out that many projects are running at a loss, with the burden falling on state governments.

"So, it has been decided to study the projects in other cities and submit the report to the government. Further action will be taken on the basis of the report," he said.

The previous BJD government had proposed to take up the first phase of the Metro project on a 26-km-long stretch between Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar to Trisulia in Cuttack at an investment of Rs 6,225 crore. Soil testing and other ground work were also initiated by the then government.

Meanwhile, the opposition BJD has criticised the BJP government for allegedly pushing the Metro rail project into uncertainty.

BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty accused the government of misleading people.

"The Hyderabad and Bengaluru Metro projects are profitable. The previous Naveen Patnaik government had taken concrete steps to implement the Metro rail in Odisha. The BJP government lacks sincerity and is only confusing the public with contradictory statements," Mohanty said.

Mohanty said the Naveen Patnaik-led government took necessary steps to start the Metro project in a developing state like Odisha.

He pointed out that ministers have made conflicting remarks—one suggesting the metro will be elevated, another suggesting it will go underground—adding to the confusion. PTI BBM RG BBM MNB