BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Saturday reiterated that the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project has not been scrapped but only kept in abeyance as it is working on a more comprehensive and viable urban transport solution for the region.
Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra told mediapersons that the Bhubaneswar Metro Corporation remains operational and necessary procedures are continuing. “We have not cancelled the metro. It has only been kept in abeyance,” he stated.
The minister said that instead of pushing ahead with a standalone Bhubaneswar line, the government is now focusing on a tri-city integration model linking Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri. Along with Paradip, the four cities are being envisioned as a future economic corridor to drive regional growth, he added.
The minister said this will align with government’s broader plan to develop a mega-metropolitan region spanning around 7,000 square kilometre, integrating Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Khurda, Jatni and Paradip into a unified urban-economic zone. “The tri-city core is seen as central to this long-term urbanisation strategy which aims to significantly boost Odisha’s urban population share,” he said.
Mahapatra said the earlier metro announcement under the BJD government was made without sufficient ground assessment or central government alignment. Proceeding with construction without alternative road networks, he added, would have caused major public inconvenience during construction and testing phases. The government was forced to kept the project in abeyance because of lower-than-expected ridership projections along with the need to align with the National Metro Rail Policy and technical reassessments.
Stating that creating alternative routes and traffic management plans is now a prerequisite before any large-scale rail project begins, Mahapatra said an inter-ministerial committee has been formed to evaluate feasibility, financial viability and integration into a wider mobility framework. Simultaneously, the state is advancing a Sustainable Urban Mobility Transition Plan to shape a holistic, future-ready public transport system, he said.
A final decision on the metro’s design, technology and timeline will depend on the committee’s recommendations and the outcomes of the mobility plan, Mahapatra said.
