Odisha Government Forms High-Level Committee to Tackle Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Traffic Congestion

The Odisha government’s taking traffic congestion in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack seriously, kicking off a multi-agency plan to ease things up for commuters. Following direct orders from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to ease the burden on daily commuters, the high-level committee held its first comprehensive review meeting yes, at the Planning and Convergence Department’s conference hall.

Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh led the meeting. Joining him were Usha Padhee from Housing and Urban Development, Chanchala Rana—who holds multiple hats as BMC Commissioner, Managing Director of Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited, and Vice-Chairman of BDA—and Police Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh. Everyone agreed on a fact that with cities growing fast and more vehicles hitting the road, a solid, organized plan is the only way forward.

They pinpointed some of Bhubaneswar’s traffic spots—Ravi Talkies Square, Mausima Temple Square, Sishu Bhawan Square, Museum Square, Kalpana Square, Jayadev Vihar Square, AG Square, KIIT Square, Kalinga Hospital Square, and Rajmahal Square. Plan is to push a mix of quick fixes to give some instant relief, along with bigger infrastructure projects to keep things moving and make streets safer for everyone.

To make sure these ideas actually work, the Development Commissioner ordered the formation of a technical team. This group brings together experts from the Bhubaneswar Development Authority, Works Department, Municipal Corporation, and Police. Their job is to get on the ground, study traffic, and come up with specific solutions. Instead of just rolling these out citywide, they’ll run pilots first—see what sticks, tweak what doesn’t, then go all in.

The committee’s not letting this slip off the radar—they’ll meet every month to check progress and keep things rolling. This first meeting zeroed in on Bhubaneswar’s issues, but next time, they’ll focus on unpacking the traffic challenges in Cuttack.