Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal President and Leader of Opposition in Assembly Naveen Patnaik has come down heavily on the Odisha government for canceling the ambitious Bhubaneswar Metro Rail, stating that the decision will push the city 10 years back.
LoP Naveen said that he was shocked to know that Bhubaneswar Metro Rail contracts have been cancelled by BJP led Odisha Govt.
Naveen said, “It has always been our dream to develop Bhubaneswar into a world-class city. We have been focusing on world class sports infrastructure, organising marquee international events, providing seamless modern transport and developing IT ecosystem to transform the temple city into a world class city”.
Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Project would have reshaped the way city moves with MoBus and other last mile connectivity complementing the city transport. Apart from alleviating congestion inside the city significantly, it would have been a huge catalyst for the expansion of city. Realizing the urgent need of a Metro System for enhanced mobility, we had set a watertight timeline of 2027 for Phase 1 of the project, the BJD President said.
“It’s now learnt from the notice by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to contractors that Odisha Govt has scrapped the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project. The double-engine government has betrayed the people of Odisha by cancelling an important project like Metro Rail. The shocking decision by double engine will push the city 10 years back”, Naveen further stated.