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.

“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.

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“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.