Odisha to form technical committee for fresh Bhubaneswar metro rail plan

Bhubaneswar, Aug 14: The Odisha government has announced plans to form a technical committee comprising officials and experts to develop a new blueprint for the proposed metro rail project in Bhubaneswar, according to Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra.

The previous metro rail proposal, created under the former BJD administration, has been entirely scrapped. The revamped rapid transit project will be redesigned from the ground up and implemented in coordination with the Central government.

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“We will constitute a technical committee that will include departmental secretaries, senior officials, and industry experts,” Minister Mahapatra said while speaking to the media. 

“This team will conduct field visits to cities where metro rail systems are operational to study best practices and determine key aspects such as route planning and parking infrastructure,” he said.

The Minister further said that while a comprehensive mobility plan is already in place, the technical committee will be responsible for identifying the specific metro routes and suitable locations for parking. Public feedback will also be gathered before finalising the detailed project report.

Explaining the rationale for scrapping the earlier plan, Mahapatra said the proposed route had posed significant traffic challenges even during the testing phase. 

“The route led to major congestion and would have caused severe disruptions during construction. The new plan will aim to avoid such issues by identifying an alternative alignment,” he said.

The minister confirmed that the project will be executed as a joint venture with the Central government, which will provide both financial assistance and technical expertise.