TV
Months after pausing work on the Bhubaneswar Metro project to revise its master plan, the Odisha government has now reportedly asked the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to provide a list of employees whose services may no longer be required. This latest development has raised concerns about the future of the metro project.
According to The New Indian Express report, the move comes shortly after the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), serving as the turnkey consultant, cancelled tenders awarded to Ranjit Buildcon and Ceigall India for carrying out ground work on Phase I of the metro.
BMRCL, a state-owned public limited company, was established in August 2023, four months after the metro project was announced, to oversee the implementation and operation of the city’s elevated corridor. Currently, the corporation has around 18 employees.
With the project stalled, tenders scrapped, and now potential layoffs under consideration, speculation has intensified that the government may be reconsidering the viability of the Phase-I corridor, initially planned as a 26-km stretch from Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar to Trisulia in Cuttack, with an estimated investment of Rs 6,225 crore.
Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra has clarified that the Odisha government intends to seek public opinion before finalizing a revised blueprint and will submit the updated proposal to the Centre for approval and funding.
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The series of developments- project halt, tender cancellations, and potential manpower cuts- has fueled ongoing uncertainty over the timeline and implementation of Bhubaneswar’s metro project.
