Bhubaneswar: The BJD Friday raised concerns over the state government’s ‘ambiguous’ approach to the implementation of the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project. In a statement, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said the BJP-led state government’s stance on the Metro project remains unclear, leading to a 13-month-long stalemate since it assumed office.
He pointed out that the DPR for the Metro was already prepared and the foundation stone laid during the previous BJD government. However, no significant progress has been made under the current administration, he alleged. Mohanty also referred to a recent statement in the Lok Sabha by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, who said the Centre has not received any proposal for a Metro project in Odisha.
In response, Urban Development Minister KC Mahapatra said a new DPR will be prepared and sent to the Centre for approval. Refuting this, Mohanty asserted that central approval was not required as the previous BJD government had committed to executing the project using state funds.