Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the status of Phase I of Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project on Saturday. The Detailed Project Report has been approved at a total cost of Rs 5.929 crore, which will be fully borne by the State Government. It will be undertaken as a 5T initiative.
The CM will lay foundation for the project on January 1, 2024.
For the current year, Rs 210 crore has been provided in the Supplementary Budget.
The Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation, a fully-owned company of Government of Odisha, has been incorporated under the Companies Act and it has started functioning.
The entire alignment of the metro project from Trisulia Square to Bhubaneswar Airport will be on an elevated structure and will run on the median/side of the existing roads with 20 stations. The stations will cover important places like Nandankanan, KIIT Square, Damana Square, Jayadev Vihar, Vani Vihar. Ram Mandir, Bhubaneswar railway station, Bapuji Nagar, Sishu Bhawan and Capital Hospital.
The project work will be started soon and is targeted for completion within 48 months.
The CM said, “I am sure this mega project will make Bhubaneswar as a top liveable city in the country.”
The project route has been selected to decongest the main roads and benefit maximum number of daily commuters.
The CM added that the subsequent phases of the metro project would connect other growth centres in and around Bhubaneswar.