Siba Prasad Samantaray has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bhubaneswar Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) by the Odisha government. He will serve in this position for a period of one year. Prior to this role, Samantaray held the position of Chief Project Director (Bridge Works) at the East Coast Railway. Additionally, Prasanna Kumar Sarangi, the Special Secretary of Housing and Urban Department, has been appointed as the General Manager (Administration) of BMRC. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which is the consultant for the project, has initiated geotechnical investigation to assess soil strength before commencing construction for the Bhubaneswar metro rail project. Soil samples have been collected from various locations between Trisulia, Nandankanan, and the city airport. Following these tests, the DMRC will prepare the detailed project report (DPR). The first phase of the project will cover approximately 30 km, connecting Trisulia in Cuttack to Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar. It will also include connections to Jatni and Khurda. Subsequently, the metro train service is planned to be extended to Puri, connecting the pilgrim town with the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar twin cities.