Bhubaneswar: Housing and Urban Development (H&UD)Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra on Friday clarified that the Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Project has not been cancelled but has only been temporarily put on hold.
“The Metro project has not been scrapped. It is temporarily suspended. The Bhubaneswar Metro Corporation has not been closed and its office continues to function,” the Minister said.
Mahapatra’s statement came after Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi wrote to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi seeking reconsideration of cabinet decision taken in this regard.
Talking to mediapersons, Mahapatra added that the entire matter regarding the Metro project is currently under the consideration of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. An Inter-Ministerial Committee has already been formed to examine the project in detail.
He criticised the previous BJD government for announcing the Metro project without properly assessing the ground situation and without securing central government support.
The Minister also emphasised that the Mohan Charan Majhi government is committed to the welfare of the common man. He pointed out that a test run or assessment revealed serious communication and operational problems, and continuing with the project in its original form could have led to bigger issues in the future.
“A comprehensive mobility plan will be prepared, following which a decision on the Metro project will be taken,” Mahapatra said.
