Bhubaneswar, Oct 7 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the Bhubaneswar metro rail project on January 1 next year, officials said on Saturday.

Patnaik also approved its detailed project report (DPR) of over Rs 5,900 crore, which will be borne by the state government, they said.

Also Read | Indian Air Force Day 2023 Date, History and Significance: Everything To Know About the Day That Celebrates the Formation of the IAF.

“The chief minister is slated to lay the foundation stone for the project on January 1, 2024,” an official said.

Patnaik approved the DPR while reviewing the status of Phase-I of the metro rail project.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections 2023: 140 Seats Discussed in Congress CEC Meet; List To Be Announced in a Week, Says Kamal Nath.

“The DPR has been approved at a total cost of Rs 5,929 crore, which will be fully borne by the state government,” the official said.

Work on the project will start soon and the target for completion is 48 months, another official said.

“The Bhubaneswar metro is a landmark project for Odisha... It will further strengthen the public transport in the city and enable its economic growth,” Patnaik said.

The Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation - a fully owned entity of the Odisha government - has been newly incorporated under the Companies Act, and it has started functioning.

A high-level committee has also been constituted for overseeing the expeditious engagement of an executing agency for the project, the officials said.

The entire alignment of the metro rail project from Trisulia Square to Bhubaneswar airport will be on an elevated structure with 20 stations, they added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)