The Mohan Charan Majhi government on Friday said the Bhubaneswar Metro rail project has been temporarily suspended, not cancelled amid criticism over scrapping the ambitious plan initiated by the previous Naveen Patnaik government.
Odisha housing and urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra said the project has only been put on hold and the Bhubaneswar Metro Corporation continues to function. “The state government has not cancelled the project. It has been temporarily suspended,” he said.
Even Bhubaneswar BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi backed the project and wrote to chief minister Majhi, saying it is essential for the city’s growth given rapid urban expansion and strong public support.
On January 1, 2024, then chief minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for the project, estimated at ₹6,255.94 crore, to connect Biju Patnaik Airport with Trisulia Square near Cuttack, covering a distance of over 26km, with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) as the executing
agency.
The Odisha government was to bear the entire cost and complete it in four years. However, after the change in government, the project was put on hold.
On April 4, the cabinet decided to shelve the project and cancel the agreement with DMRC, triggering criticism. Sarangi cautioned that backing out would send a negative message.
In a letter to Majhi, the two-time MP from Bhubaneswar, Sarangi said: “There is visible support for the Metro Rail project in Bhubaneswar. Ignoring the public desire and demand, risks by belying their expectations and weakening trust in development promises.”
She described metro rail as a long-term, high-capacity, cost-efficient system vital for Bhubaneswar and nearby Cuttack, Jatani and Khordha.
She noted metros are subsidised and not built for immediate profit, and that ₹274 crore has already been spent.
Amid pressure, Mohapatra said an inter-ministerial committee will examine the project and a final decision will be taken.
He criticised the previous government for proceeding without assessing ground realities or securing central support. “We will prepare a comprehensive mobility plan, and later, a decision on the metrol rail project will be taken,” the minister said.
Minister of works, Prithviraj Harichandan, reiterated that the project has not been cancelled.