BJD Slams BJP Government Over Delay, Confusion in Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Project

Bhubaneswar, July 25: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Odisha government over what it called an “ambiguous and indecisive” stance regarding the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project, accusing it of stalling the initiative that was kickstarted by the previous BJD administration.

Addressing a press conference, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty expressed concern over the lack of progress on the metro project nearly 13 months after the BJP came to power in the state. He alleged that despite a Detailed Project Report (DPR) being prepared and the foundation stone laid during the tenure of the previous government, no tangible development has taken place since the regime change.

Mohanty highlighted contradictions in the BJP government’s statements, citing that the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister recently informed the Lok Sabha that no Metro Rail proposal from Odisha has been received by the Centre. This, Mohanty said, contradicts the state government’s previous assertions regarding the project’s progress.

Reacting to the criticism, Odisha Urban Development Minister Krishnachandra Mohapatra stated that a fresh DPR would be prepared and subsequently submitted to the central government for approval. However, the BJD rejected this explanation, maintaining that central clearance was never necessary, as the project was originally planned to be funded entirely by the state.

“First, the new government said they would expand the project and prepare a new DPR. Then they claimed it would be an elevated corridor. Now, they’ve changed the narrative again, saying they will send the revised DPR to the Centre for clearance. This inconsistency is causing unnecessary delay and confusion,” Mohanty said.

He further criticised the BJP government for allegedly pushing a vital urban infrastructure project into uncertainty, while pointing out that 17 other states have successfully received approvals and moved ahead with their respective metro rail systems.

The BJD has demanded that the BJP government take immediate and concrete steps to resume the project and maintain the timeline envisioned by the previous administration, rather than creating what it describes as a policy vacuum that jeopardizes Bhubaneswar’s urban transport future.