Senior BJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra has written to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, urging the revival of the Bhubaneswar Metro project. Patra proposed a structured collaboration between the Union and state governments, similar to the Jaipur Metro Phase-2 project in Rajasthan. The Union Cabinet recently approved the Jaipur Metro Phase-2 project, setting a precedent for large metro projects through a 50:50 Centre-State partnership.
Patra highlighted that the Odisha Metro project, with an estimated cost of Rs 6,255 crore, is less than half the scale of the Jaipur Metro Phase-2 project. Originally conceived as a State-funded project, Patra suggested that if implemented under the Jaipur model, both central and state governments would share around Rs 3,100 crore each. The remaining costs could be covered through Viability Gap Funding or structured financing.
The BJD leader emphasized the benefits of the Odisha Metro project, stating that it would enhance mobility and serve as an economic backbone for the state. The proposed metro corridor would provide safer and faster travel for residents, improve access to education and jobs for students and youth, and offer more comfortable transport for senior citizens. Additionally, the project aims to boost tourism, support small businesses, reduce congestion, and drive economic development by creating new opportunities.
Patra urged the Odisha Government to reconsider the decision to scrap the Odisha Metro project and adopt the Jaipur funding model in consultation with the Government of India. The state cabinet, led by Mohan Charan Majhi, recently decided to terminate the agreement with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, effectively ending the Bhubaneswar Metro rail project. The cabinet also planned to transform the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation Limited into a nodal body for sustainable urban mobility initiatives in the state.
