BHUBANESWAR (Metro Rail News): The Bhubaneswar Metro project has encountered a major setback as the state government has decided to scrap the tenders of Phase 1 due to viability concerns.
The former Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, laid the foundation stone of the project on January 1, 2024. The first phase of the project was projected to cost approximately Rs 6,300 crore, covering a distance of 26 km from Bhubaneswar Airport to Trisulia near the Orissa High Court in Cuttack. The phase included plans for 20 stations and potential extensions to Puri, Khurda, and Cuttack.
Krushna Chandra Mohapatra, the Minister for Housing and Urban Development in Odisha, said that the decision to cancel the tender was taken due to delays in implementation and the intention to prevent cost escalations.
He further added, “The metro project initiated by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government wouldn’t have been viable. Our government has formed an inter-minister committee to take a fresh look at the project by studying different aspects, its viability, and to submit a fresh proposal before the project,” as reported by The Indian Express.
Furthermore, Mohapatra indicated that the state government plans to engage in consultations with the central government regarding the project, in contrast to the previous approach adopted by the BJD government, which sought to pursue the initiative independently.
According to the former CM of Odisha, this decision of the government will push Bhubaneswar 10 years back.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation was commissioned by the Odisha government to oversee the implementation of the project, which included the tender process and the engagement of various agencies. While preliminary groundwork for the metro project commenced, it faced challenges following the assumption of power by the BJP in Odisha on June 24.
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