Bhubaneswar: The fate of the much-anticipated Bhubaneswar Metro Rail project has come under a cloud of uncertainty after the Odisha Government terminated the tender awarded to Ceigall India Limited and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC).

The cancelled contract pertained to the partial design and construction of an elevated viaduct and six elevated stations—Nandan Vihar, Raghunathpur, Nandankanan Zoological Park, Barang, Phulapokhari, and Trisulia Square.

Ceigall India Limited confirmed the termination, stating, “The employer has scrapped the project. We are pursuing damages, claims, and compensation as per provisions of the contract agreement and other legal remedies.”

Adding to the ambiguity, the Central Government has not yet received any formal proposal from the Odisha Government regarding the execution of the metro project.

This development casts fresh doubt over the future of the metro rail initiative, initially envisioned to transform urban transport in Bhubaneswar. In July, the state government had hinted at a shift in approach, suggesting the possibility of switching from an elevated metro system to an underground network.

“A new alignment is being prepared, and the Urban Development Department has been directed to carry out a proper survey,” Works Minister Prithviraj Harichandan had told reporters.

Recently, Deputy Chief Minister K.V. Singh Deo chaired a high-level review meeting to examine a revised blueprint for the metro project.

The foundation stone for Phase I of the Bhubaneswar Metro was laid by former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at Ratagada near Trisulia in Cuttack on January 1, 2024. A budgetary allocation of Rs 1,000 crore was made in the 2024–25 Vote-on-Account for the project. The Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation had also signed an MoU with DMRC, with a targeted completion period of four years.

After the change in government in 2024, the BJP-led administration had reassured the public that the metro project would continue, with potential plans for expansion. 

However, with the latest developments, the future of the project remains in limbo.