Bhubaneswar Metro work to commence by year-end: Odisha minister Usha Devi

Work for the much-awaited metro rail project in the Bhubaneswar capital region is likely to start by the end of this year, Odisha's Housing and Urban Development Minister Usha Devi said on Friday. A review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the project was held here during the day.

Stating that the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is engaged as a consultant, the minister said the DPR (detailed project report) is being prepared.

"The construction work is likely to commence by the end of 2023. The chief minister will lay the foundation stone for the project," she said.

She said the survey for the proposed project has been completed.

"The DPR, which is being prepared by the Delhi Metro Railway Corporation, has reached its final stage and routes have been identified. Initially, the metro rail will run between Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, and later it will be extended to Jatni and Puri," the department's secretary G Mathi Vathanan.

Earlier, on the occasion of Utkal Divas on April 1, Patnaik announced the metro rail project for ease of travelling for daily commuters and tourists.

"The project has been studied by various stakeholders and feasibility reports have been prepared. It will be predominantly based on elevated corridors and will be entirely funded by the state government," Vathanan said.

Metro rail will reduce the time taken to cover 64 km between Puri and Bhubaneswar to less than 30 minutes, sources said.