Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Rajya Sabha Member Sasmit Patra urged Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to reconsider the decision to scrap the proposed Odisha Metro project and revive it under a Centre-State funding model similar to the one recently approved for the Jaipur Metro.

In a letter dated April 9, Patra said the Union Cabinet’s approval of Jaipur Metro Phase-2 on April 8 has set a strong precedent for implementing large urban mobility projects through a structured 50:50 Centre-State Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) model, backed by subordinate debt and external financing.

Patra pointed out that the proposed Odisha Metro corridor linking Puri, Khurda, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack was approved in 2024 at an estimated cost of Rs 6,255 crore, which is less than half the scale of Jaipur Metro Phase-2, pegged at over Rs 13,000 crore.

Odisha Metro can be revived through Centre-State cost sharing

According to Patra, if the Jaipur funding model is adopted for Odisha, the financial burden could be shared equally between the Centre and the State, with each contributing around Rs 3,100 crore, while the remaining amount could be managed through viability gap funding and structured financing.

The MP argued that discontinuing the Odisha Metro project would weaken a critical mobility and economic backbone for the state. He said the metro corridor would ensure safer and faster travel, improve access to education and employment for students and youth, offer better commuting options for senior citizens, and boost tourism and small businesses through better connectivity.

Patra said he had earlier written to the Union government on April 6 regarding the matter and has now appealed to the Odisha government to reopen discussions with the Centre for reviving the metro project in public interest.

Notably, the metro project was formally launched in 2023 by the then BJD government using state funds. The foundation stone was laid at Trisulia, and the project was scheduled to be completed within four years. Ceigall India Limited and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) had received the tender to execute the project. After change in government in 2024, authorities terminated the tender last year.