Bhubaneswar metro rail project put on hold by govt: Min in assembly

Bhubaneswar: The ambitious Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Project, which was to connect the twin cities when complete, has been put on hold by the state govt, housing and urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra informed the assembly on Tuesday.

Replying to a query raised by Simulia MLA Padmalochan Panda, Mahapatra told the assembly that in accordance with the National Metro Rail Policy, in view of an expected low ridership and in order to assess several technical details, the govt has put the project on hold. “An inter-ministerial committee has been formed to assess several aspects of the national policy and decide on the future course of the project. A final decision on the project will be taken in the coming days,” the minister said.

Mahapatra further stated that the state govt is currently implementing a new Sustainable Urban Mobility Transition Plan for Odisha, which will reshape future mobility and public transport plans for Bhubaneswar and rest of the state.

The minister's reply has upset the city’s residents, who have consistently demanded that the metro project should not be stalled or cancelled under any circumstances, citing the project would help the state capital in the long run. “Bhubaneswar is expanding and it needs a metro rail network to meet the demands of the city’s growing population. Metro will be a necessity,” Patia resident Bikash Sharma said.

Sharma said the govt should take visionary steps and go ahead with the execution of the project rather than stalling or cancelling it. “If the work starts now, it will take at least five years to complete,” he added.

In 2023, the original metro plan was mooted during the previous BJD govt’s rule. The initial plan was to have an elevated metro corridor in the first phase between city airport and Trishulia, with a total of 16 stations. Later, the plan was revised when BJP came to power and the metro was extended to Cuttack. However, discussion remained on its continuity when the construction work, which had already started in parts of Bhubaneswar, was stopped suddenly. The BJP govt also announced a revised plan of executing an underground metro network rather than an elevated one.

“Holding the metro project back is a bad idea now. The govt should reconsider,” Manas Sahu, a Sailashree Vihar resident, said.