BHUBANESWAR : The state government has formed a technical committee to conduct a feasibility study by reworking the route and modalities of the Bhubaneswar metro rail project, informed Housing and Urban Development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra on Wednesday.
Stating that the project will be taken up with support from the Centre, the minister said the state government plans to conduct ground surveys at various sites for the purpose.
“The committee will prepare a comprehensive feasibility report including route suggestions and cost-sharing options. Once the report is submitted to the government, the financial obligations of the Centre and state government will be determined,” he said and added that CM Mohan Charan Majhi will then engage in further talks with the Centre regarding the project’s execution.
The feasibility study will determine the viability of the project in terms of cost, passenger load and technical sustainability, Mahapatra said adding, a fresh proposal will be prepared and sent to the Centre for approval.
Meanwhile, in a written reply to a question from Sasmit Patra (BJD), Union minister of state for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu said the metro rail projects are cost-intensive. “Hence these projects are planned in accordance with the provision of the Metro Policy 2017 for ensuring its long-term viability and sustainability,” he added.
The minister said the Odisha government had earlier gone ahead with Bhubaneswar metro rail project without informing and seeking financial support of the Centre.
“The Odisha government has now informed that it is reassessing and restructuring the Bhubaneswar metro rail project phase-I under overall perspective of comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) to ensure its long-term viability, sustainability and urban mobility needs,” he added.
The state government has informed that as per the original feasibility findings for the Bhubaneswar metro project, as detailed in the DPR, the projected daily passenger count for the years 2028, 2031, 2041, 2051 and 2054 are 67,367, 72,214, 98,835, 1,42,740 and 1,60,564 respectively, Sahu said.