‘New Bhubaneswar’ at Rs 408 crore; 15 Odisha cities to transform into ‘Tri-Cities’

Odisha government's 2025 budget has laid out a significant focus on urban development alongside rural growth. Inspired by Hyderabad's infrastructure, a ‘new city’ development initiative is on the anvil with Rs 408 Crore allocated for establishing a modern Bhubaneswar.

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An ambitious plan to develop 15 cities into five economic corridors has also been unveiled, following the ‘Tri-City’ structural vision. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi stated, “The new Bhubaneswar will be developed with the same structural vision as Hyderabad,” underlining urban development as a key priority.

The ambitious development plan in nutshell

A substantial sum of Rs 1,100 Crore has been earmarked for the Mukhya Mantri Sahari Bikash Yojana, meant for urban development. This initiative includes five economic corridors connecting ‘Tri-Cities’ such as Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri, Sambalpur-Jharsuguda-Bargarh, Jeypore-Sunabeda-Koraput, Chhatrapur-Berhampur-Gopalpur, Keonjhar-Barbil-Joda, further focusing on logistics, tourism, and educational clusters.

To address Bhubaneswar's burgeoning population and traffic woes, the State government aims to expedite the completion of the metro rail project. Additionally, plans to build a ring road around the State Capital seek to transform it into a thriving city, with emphasis on technology and other sectors. Initially, an area of 322 hectares is targeted for development to attract investments and generate employment.

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Notably, these proposals represent a crucial stride towards enhancing regional connectivity and infrastructure, facilitating economic growth across urban centres. The budget not only sets the stage for new urban projects but also aims to revitalise existing areas to accommodate future needs.