Bhubaneswar: A new era will begin in the transportation sector with a focus on safe travel in less time and at less cost as Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today laid the foundation stone for the first phase of the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Project.
While participating in a program organised in Barang’s Ratagad, the Chief Minister said that today will be a special day in the history of development in the state with huge changes in the transportation sector. On this occasion, he said, “Today, I am fulfilling the promise I had given for the Metro Rail.”
The Chief Minister said that LAccMI Yojana has brought transformation in the village, and the Metro Rail Project will take this transformation further by strengthening the relationship of the new capital Bhubaneswar with the former capital Cuttack.
The Chief Minister said, “While coming here, I received the greetings of thousands of people on the road. Their happiness made me very happy too. May this happiness and joy of the New Year continue every day… This is my prayer to Mahaprabhu Jagannath. May the festival of development move forward with your support.”
The Chief Minister said that this first phase of metro rail will be constructed from Bhubaneswar Airport to Trishulia. This 26-km-long project will have 20 stations and Rs 6255.94 crores will be spent on it.
The Chief Minister said that this is a flagship project of the state in the 5T initiative. Stating that the state government will bear the entire cost of the project, he said that this is the biggest investment in infrastructure in the history of Odisha.
Before concluding he informed that directions have been given to prepare a master plan for the transmission of metro rail to Khurda, Puri and Cuttack. The Chief Minister called for the formation of a new Odisha.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today reached the metro rail foundation laying event at Retagad In Barang in a road show from Bhubaneswar Airport after paying floral tributes at the statue of Legendary Biju Patnaik. He greeted the people present at various Chowks in the city at the roadshow and laid the foundation stone for the metro rail project.
It is noteworthy that in April this year, the Chief Minister announced this metro rail project in Odisha. In October 2019, 5T Chairman Shri VK Pandian visited Trishulia and reviewed the progress of the preparation. This project was approved by the Odisha Cabinet on November 10th. Within just 4 months of getting the approval, the detailed project report was prepared and its foundation stones were laid today. This project will be implemented in a joint venture between Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation.
Attending the event, Minister for Social Security and Empowerment of Disabled Ashok Panda said that it was a long-awaited dream of the people of the state for a metro rail from Temple City Bhubaneswar to the former capital Cuttack. Today it has been fulfilled through this project.
State Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain said that this project launched by the Chief Minister today is going to create a special identity for Odisha. This project is a symbol of pride for the entire Odisha.
Housing and Urban Development Minister Smt. Usha Devi participated in the program and said that through this project, the traffic problem will be resolved, the transit sector will improve and it will help in employment and economic growth with a modern look.
5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman VK Pandian was present in the program.
Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das gave the welcome speech, Banki MLA Debi Ranjan Tripathi, Choudwar-Cuttack MLA Souvic Biswal, Bhubaneswar North MLA Sushant Raut, Central MLA Ananta Narayan Jena, Cuttack Sadar MLA Chandrashekhar Sarathi Behera also participated in the program.
