Is Bhubaneswar metro rail project changing course or going off-track?

India Today

6 days ago

The Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project has hit a major roadblock as the executing firm, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), terminated its construction contracts with Ceigall India Limited and Ranjit Buildcon Limited, citing prolonged delays and lack of progress on the ground for the past eight months.The move, formalised on July 25, effectively cancels the design and construction work for elevated viaducts and six stations between Nandan Vihar and Trisulia Square, including the depot ramp, bringing renewed scrutiny to the ambitious project launched by the previous Naveen Patnaik government.advertisementAccording to filings under SEBI's disclosure norms, Ceigall India was informed that the project has been scrapped in its current form. The company has stated it will explore contractual remedies for compensation.Sources close to the project confirmed work had been stalled for several months due to a mix of logistical, financial and coordination challenges between the contractors and DMRC. Officials, however, clarified that the termination of contracts was intended to allow for a comprehensive reset, and did not mean abandonment of the metro rail plan altogether.
Government sources insisted the Bhubaneswar Metro project was still alive, with a revised vision underway. A high-level sub-committee, led by deputy chief minister K.V. Singh Deo, met on July 16 to chart out the capital's urban mobility roadmap, placing metro connectivity at its core.Following the meeting, law minister Prithviraj Harichandan announced that a new Detailed Project Report (DPR) was being prepared. Once the revised DPR is finalised, the project will move forward with fresh tenders.However, in a statement in Parliament, Union minister of state for housing and urban affairs Tokhan Sahu revealed that the Centre had not received any formal proposal for a metro project in Bhubaneswar. The capital of Odisha was notably missing from a list of 17 cities under active consideration for metro rail. Sahu clarified that urban planning was a state subject and financial assistance from the Centre was contingent upon the feasibility and submission of proposals submitted by the states.Despite the setback, the BJP government in Odisha has signalled its intention to proceed with the project. State urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra said the previous Biju Janata Dal government's fully state-funded plan, costing Rs 5,000 crore, lacked feasibility and central collaboration, and that the BJP administration now aimed to implement a more viable metro rail project in partnership with the Centre, revising the DPR accordingly and preparing to approach the Union government for support. Mahapatra criticised the earlier plan to connect the Biju Patnaik International Airport with Trisulia Square via an elevated 26-km-long corridor as poorly conceived.advertisementThe initial phase of the metro project had awarded the 7.12-km-long Capital Hospital-Acharya Vihar Square and 7.27-km-long Acharya Vihar-KIIT Square stretches to Ranjit Buildcon Ltd for Rs 561 crore and Rs 625 crore, respectively. Ceigall India Ltd had been assigned the 10.97-km-long KIIT Square-Trisulia Square segment for Rs 899 crore.The Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation Limited confirmed that the contracts were cancelled due to the project's changing scope and in order to avoid wasting manpower during the construction freeze. Officials reiterated that the partnership with DMRC was intact and that the project would resume with a revised DPR.Former chief minister Naveen Patnaik criticised the BJP government's decision, calling it a betrayal of people's aspirations and a setback that would push Bhubaneswar a decade behind. He said the metro project was a cornerstone in transforming Bhubaneswar into a global city with modern transport and seamless connectivity. Patnaik insisted his government had committed to completing Phase 1 of the project by 2027 and accused the 'double-engine government' of stalling a critical urban transformation effort. Adding to the chorus, senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik called the development deeply disappointing.Mahapatra defended the government's course correction, explaining that the revised plan aimed to ensure better viability and integration within Bhubaneswar's expanding infrastructure. Further, the inter-ministerial committee, headed by Singh Deo, would examine metro rail models in other cities before finalising a long-term, comprehensive urban mobility strategy for Bhubaneswar.advertisementSubscribe to India Today Magazine- Ends