The Odisha government sanctioned Rs 1,000 crore towards construction of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack metro rail project for 2024-25 fiscal, Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Housing & Urban Development Minister, informed the state assembly on Friday.
The previous Naveen Patnaik-led BJD Government 1 April, 2023 had announced a Metro train project on the about 100 km Cuttack-Bhubaneswar-Khurda-Puri route to resolve heavy traffic-related issues.
The construction of the Bhubaneswar metro rail project phase I from 26 kilometre-stretch Bhubaneswar airport to Trisulia Square, Cuttack at a cost of Rs 6255.94 crore has got underway.
The metro rail project will have 20 stations in the 26-kilometre stretch. The areas to be covered include Biju Patnaik Airport, Capital Hospital, Sishu Bhawan, Bapuji Nagar, Bhubaneswar Railway Station, Ram Mandir Square, Vani Vihar, Acharya Vihar, Jaydev Vihar, Xavier Square, Rail Sadan, Damana Square, Patia Square, KIIT Square, Nandan Vihar, Raghunathpur, Nandankanan Zoological Park, Phulapokhari and Trishulia Square (Cuttack), the Minister said.
Equipped with state-of-art facilities, the metro project will offer world-class, environment-friendly urban transport. It will also spur economic activities and accelerate the expansion of the Capital region.
The proposed route in the first phase will cover the densely populated areas and those with mass footfall like Nandan Kanan to Jaydev Vihar and Vani Vihar to the airport and touch the Bhubaneswar railway station area.