Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has approved metro rail proposal connecting Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri, informed 5T Secretary VK Pandian on the occasion of Utkal Dibasa (foundation day of Odisha) Saturday.
Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena presided over a high-level review meeting to check the feasibility of the metro rail services earlier in the day.
According to a source in the government, metro train service will operate between Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar and Trisulia in Cuttack in the first phase. It will cover areas such as Bhubaneswar railway station, Vani Vihar, Jaydev Vihar, Patia, Nandankanan and so on. Later, the proposed metro train service will be extended to Puri.
Pandian added that the metro rail initiative will be executed by the state government following 5T principles and it will help to resolve traffic-related issues in the twin city.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has asked the Housing and Urban Development department to complete the detailed project report (DPR) on a war footing.
“We have always strived to push boundaries and improve the lives of our people. And today, with the announcement of this new project, we are taking another step towards a ‘New Odisha’ to provide best-in-class metro services to the people of the state,” Patnaik said.
Equipped with state-of-art facilities, the metro rail project will not only offer world-class, environment-friendly urban transport for an emerging and aspirational Odisha but also spur economic activities and accelerate the expansion of our urban city cluster covering Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, and Khurda, he pointed out.
The Chief Minister further said the emergence of a modern and planned city cluster will attract people, investments, trade, and tourism like never before. This will be a truly transformational project implemented using the principles of 5Ts (teamwork, technology, transparency, transformation and time-limit).
“This is the New Odisha we are aspiring to create as our humble tribute to the people and the creators of our beloved state of Odisha,” he added.
Stating that Odisha people have also excelled in multiple fields and made their mark across the world, Patnaik said, “Odisha, synonymous with a rich cultural heritage, is today also known for good governance, people centric administration, inclusivity, disaster management women’s empowerment, sporting excellence, world class skilling programmes, high socioeconomic indicators, great infrastructure, and so on, Odisha is on cusp of deep transformative change.”
“The state’s journey forward is guided by the great leaders who aspired and gave us the 1st linguistic state in 1936,” he said.
“With the blessings of visionary forefathers like Biju Patnaik, we need to dream big and work hard to become one of the most progressive States of the country,” he added.
PNN & Agencies