Odisha cancels Bhubaneswar metro project, Naveen Patnaik calls it shocking

Former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik came down heavily on the BJP government in the state after the latter scrapped the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project launched during his tenure, saying the double-engine government has betrayed the people with a move which will take the state 10 years back.

Patnaik, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief, dropped a scathing post on social media criticising the Mohan Charan Manjhi government for calling off a contract with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

"Shocked to know that Bhubaneswar Metro Rail contracts have been cancelled by BJP-led #Odisha Govt. It has always been our dream to develop #Bhubaneswar into a world-class city. We have been focusing on world-class sports infrastructure, organising marquee international events, providing seamless modern transport and developing an IT ecosystem to transform the temple city into a world-class city," Patnaik posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Patnaik claimed that the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Project would have reshaped the way the city moves with MoBus, public transport bus service in the Odisha capital, and other last-mile connectivity complementing the city transport. He said that not only would the metro services have alleviated the congestion inside the city, but would have also proved a catalyst for the expansion of the city.

Saying that his government had set a watertight deadline for the completion of Phase 1 of the project in 2027, realising the urgent need for a metro system for enhanced mobility, Patnaik said, "The double-engine government has betrayed the people of Odisha by cancelling an important project like Metro Rail. The shocking decision by the double-engine will push the city 10 years back".

"We will have 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 added.

According to Mahapatra, the Patnaik government planned a fully state-funded project at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore, which would have connected Biju Patnaik International Airport with Trisulia Square.

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