Cancellation of Bhubaneswar Metro: A Step Back for Urban Mobility

Naveen Patnaik, leader of the BJD, expressed his dismay over the Odisha government's decision to cancel the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project. According to Patnaik, this move will delay the city's progress in urban mobility and overall development by ten years.

The state's BJP-led government reportedly terminated the contract with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, a decision that sparked Patnaik's social media criticism. He emphasized the project's importance in transforming Bhubaneswar into a global city with advanced transport and infrastructure.

In response, Odisha's Housing and Urban Development Minister, Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, stated that the government is planning a new, feasible Metro project in collaboration with the central government, offering a different approach than the prior fully state-funded plan.

(With inputs from agencies.)