Odisha Govt appoints Siba Prasad Samantaray as CEO of Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government has appointed Siba Prasad Samantaray as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) for a period of one year. Earlier, Samantaray was working in East Coast Railway (ECoR) as Chief Project Director (Bridge Works), a source said today.

Similarly, Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Special Secretary Prasanna Kumar Sarangi has been appointed as General Manager (Administration) of BMRC until further orders.

According to a senior official, a geotechnical investigation for the ambitious metro rail project on a stretch between Nandankanan in the State Capital and Trisulia in Cuttack district was started on July 8 this year and is underway.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is the consultant and presently carrying out a survey to prepare a Detailed Project Report. In the first phase, the project will cover important locations like the airport, railway station, Vani Vihar, Jaydev Vihar, Patia, Nandankanan in Bhubaneswar, and Trisulia in Cuttack.

It is pertinent to mention, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had approved a proposal for the metro train service on the occasion of Utkal Dibas on April 1, 2023.

In the second phase, the proposed metro train service is to be extended to Puri, which will connect the pilgrim town with Cuttack-Bhubaneswar twin cities.