A high-level inter-departmental coordination meeting was held at Kharavela Bhawan under the chairmanship of Garg to review the progress of the ambitious project and chalk out the next course of action.
Garg said the BKPIPER project would play a crucial role in accelerating infrastructure development, attracting investment, generating employment and promoting economic growth through an integrated regional development approach. She emphasised the need for coordinated efforts among all government departments to ensure timely and effective implementation.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department Usha Padheepresented an overview of progress under various components of the project and outlined priority areas requiring attention to meet the stipulated timelines.
Padhee said the project would make a significant contribution to Odisha’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and support the objectives of Viksit Bharat 2047. She added that the government aims to develop BKPIPER as a global model for sustainable and inclusive regional economic development.
The meeting stressed the importance of developing the region as aninclusive, sustainable and globally competitive economic hub, with coordinated interventions in multimodal transportation, affordable housing, climate-resilient infrastructure and urban regeneration.
The BKPIPER plan is among the four major pilot projects in the countryprepared under the Government of India’sCity Economic Region (CER) initiative. During the meeting of state secretaries, officials reviewed269 projects across 19 departments, identified by NITI Aayog in coordination with various departments for implementation under the initiative.
The project seeks to integrate the economic strengths of the region, including Bhubaneswar’s IT and technology sector, traditional businesses, tourism and cultural assets, with the port-based industries and logistics potential of the surrounding areas.
Officials also reviewed the progress of individual projects, inter-departmental coordination mechanisms and the mapping of projects on thePM Gati Shakti portal. The meeting also discussed the roadmap for taking the initiative forward.
The proposed economic region covers four districts—Khordha, Cuttack, Puri and Jagatsinghpur—and 19 urban areas. The broader objective is to transform the region into an inclusive, liveable and sustainable economic regionwith integrated infrastructure and improved economic opportunities.
The BKPIPER project is expected to generate more than four million non-agricultural jobs and attract over US$400 billion in corporate investment. The meeting also examined areas of cooperation between the Government of India and the Odisha government for implementing the mega project. The Asian Development Bank (ADB)has been proposed as a financing partner for the initiative.
The state government has also moved to strengthen the institutional framework for the project. The Capital Economic Region Development Authority (CERDA)recently received Cabinet approval and is expected to oversee integrated regional management, includingplanning, project implementation, financial management and investment mobilisationacross the BKPIPER region.
Development Commissioner and Additional Chief SecretaryDeoranjan Kumar Singh, along with Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Commissioners-cum-Secretaries, Secretaries and senior officials from the departments concerned, attended the meeting.
