BJP raises doubts over completion of Bhubaneswar Metro project; BJD responds

A day after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Phase I of the Bhubaneswar Metro project, the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday took a swipe at the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), accusing it of habitually announcing projects when any election is round the corner. 

Alleging that the government is not able to construct an over bridge perfectly, state BJP vice president Biranchi Tripathy on Sunday expressed doubts over the completion of the project. 

“In Odisha, particularly in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, Metro is very essential. However, the Odisha government announces many projects when there is an election. Many of those announcements die an unnatural death within some days and the rest meet their ends after the election,” said Tripathy.

“The government is not able to construct even an over bridge perfectly. We have seen how many days the Bomikhal over bridge took to be completed, and how it was built and how many accidents occurred there. So, we doubt as to how the government will be able to construct the elevated structure of the Metro from the airport to Trishulia,” added Tripathy.

The BJD hit back at the BJP, saying that the progress of Odisha is not going down well with the saffron party. 

“What can be done if someone can’t tolerate the progress of the state? The Opposition party is doing politics for what...For the development of the state or for strengthening their party?” BJD MLA Sashi Bhushan Behera asked.