BDA Reviews Progress of Proposed New City and Bhubaneswar Town Centre at 152nd Authority Meeting

What the Authority Decided

The Bhubaneswar Development Authority's 152nd Authority Meeting was chaired by Dr Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Housing & Urban Development Minister and BDA Chairman, and was attended by BMC Mayor Sulochana Das, Jatani Municipality Chairman Ananta Behera, H&UD Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee and BDA Vice Chairman Chanchal Rana, among other senior officials. The meeting was attended by BMC Mayor Sulochana Das, Jatani Municipality Chairman Ananta Behera, Housing & Urban Development Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee, BDA Vice Chairman Chanchal Rana and other senior officials.

On the New City and Bhubaneswar Town Centre (BTC) items specifically, the Authority's action was a status review rather than a fresh approval or notification. The BDA also reviewed the progress of the proposed New City and the proposed Bhubaneswar Town Centre (BTC) project. It expressed satisfaction over progress of both the projects. No new land rates, boundary changes or master-plan approvals for New City or BTC were announced at this sitting — the substantive planning decisions affecting New City's constituent villages were handled through a separate agenda item on Town Planning Scheme declarations (below).

The Directly Related Planning Action: Town Planning Scheme Declarations

The same meeting approved a Declaration of Intention covering areas that overlap with the New City footprint. The Authority has approved the Declaration of Intention for Town Planning Scheme Nos. 5, 6 & 7, covering the villages of Malipada and Daspur, and Town Planning Scheme Nos. 42, 43, 44 & 45, covering the villages of Bijipur, Baliapada, Kasipur, Bhagabanpur and Patrapada. Malipada and Daspur are two of the three mouzas (Gothapatna, Malipada, Daspur) that make up the proposed New City area, so this Declaration of Intention is the statutory groundwork step that precedes detailed Town Planning Scheme preparation for parts of the New City zone. It does not itself constitute final notification of the New City master plan.

Background: What the New City Project Actually Is

The New City project reviewed at this meeting traces back to a state Cabinet decision the previous year. The Odisha Cabinet approved the New City Development scheme, aimed at creating a modern and inclusive urban hub within the Bhubaneswar Development Plan Area (BDPA). The project will cover nearly 800 acres of land across Gothapatna, Malipada, and Daspur, and is envisioned as a multi-economic growth zone aligned with the state's long-term vision Vikshit Odisha 2036. That Cabinet approval was dated approved by the State Cabinet in its meeting held on September 10, 2025.

The scheme is designed as a transit-oriented township. The new city will be developed as a transit-oriented township, with focus on efficient public transport, reduced travel distances, and seamless access to a well-integrated mix of land uses. It will ensure "Housing for All" by offering diverse housing options for all income groups based on affordability and necessity. Officials have also flagged non-residential components. The proposed township will boast state-of-the-art infrastructure, including MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) facilities, innovation hubs, plug-and-play infrastructure, and data management centers. The state's own estimate of scale: the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has estimated an investment of ₹8,179 crore over a period of 15 years.

Master-planning work is underway with a Singapore-based consultant. The ambitious project will span over nearly 800 acres across the mouzas of Gothapatna, Malipada, and Daspur... The agreement was formally signed by BDA Secretary Manas Ranjan Padhi and Surbana Jurong Deputy Director Manideep Dutta. As of early January 2026, the scope of that mandate was still being finalised: As per the agreed scope, Surbana Jurong will undertake projectisation of the New City Master Plan, identifying priority projects across short-, medium- and long-term horizons, with defined objectives, scope, timelines and schematic urban design. The firm's brief also covers detailed technical support, as the firm will also provide technical handholding and support for preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).

Background: Bhubaneswar Town Centre (BTC)

BTC is a separate, smaller-footprint BDA project reviewed alongside New City at this meeting. It is centred on a compact multimodal-hub site near the city's railway station. This 12-acre site, located on the west side of the railway tracks at the Master Canteen square, is accessible directly from the city's main commercial spine, Janpath Road. BTC will serve as Bhubaneswar's new Multimodal Hub on the opportunities presented by the railway station's expansion. BDA's own project listing describes it among the authority's flagship works: the development authority is spearheading a drive to put up best in class infrastructure in the city. Some of the landmark projects being planned include Bhubaneswar Town Centre, a multi-modal hub around the city railway station. The project's development was formally taken up at an earlier BDA sitting: The BDA has also decided to develop Bhubaneswar Town Centre (BTC) at Master Canteen Square and BDA City Centre, popularly known as Nicco Park.

Other Decisions Cleared at the Same Meeting

The 152nd meeting bundled several unrelated approvals alongside the New City/BTC review. Chief among them was the go-ahead for the Ekamra Residency housing project. Announcing the decision, Mahapatra said the project has already received the Occupancy Certificate, and the Authority has approved the pricing of the apartments. He said the prices have been fixed keeping in mind the affordability of different sections of society. Ekamra Residency itself is spread over 7.36 acres at Subudhipur and is unrelated to the New City area — it lies in an already-developing part of the city, not within the Gothapatna-Malipada-Daspur footprint.

The Authority also cleared urban infrastructure works: a shaded cycle track and footpath, a sewage treatment plant pilot, and market redevelopment. These include the construction of a shaded cycle track and footpath along the Left Parallel Road from Ekamra Kanan Junction to Hatiasuni. The corridor faces heavy pedestrian and cyclist movement but lacks continuous shaded infrastructure, causing inconvenience to commuters, particularly during extreme weather. The proposed project aims to promote safe, comfortable and sustainable non-motorised transport in the city. On sanitation, it gave the nod for the construction of a 10 KLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Drain No. 4 near Vani Vihar on a pilot basis to improve wastewater management and environmental sustainability. Separately, redevelopment of the Priyadarshini Market Complex at CRP Square was sanctioned to modernise facilities for traders and visitors. The session closed in the usual manner: the meeting concluded with a vote of thanks by BDA Secretary Manas Ranjan Padhi.

Practical Effect for Investors and Residents

For anyone tracking New City as a real estate or land opportunity, the 152nd meeting is a status-update event, not a land-release, pricing or notification event. No plot rates, allotment windows, RERA registration numbers or final boundary maps for New City were announced here — those remain pending the completion of the Surbana Jurong master plan and subsequent statutory notification. The one concrete land-process step tied to the New City villages is the Declaration of Intention for Town Planning Scheme Nos. 5, 6 and 7 covering Malipada and Daspur, which is an early-stage planning formality that typically precedes detailed scheme preparation, valuation and eventual plot reconstitution — not an immediate transaction trigger.

For BTC, the review confirms the 12-acre Master Canteen Square hub project remains active and on the Authority's active-monitoring list, but no new construction milestones, tenders or completion dates were disclosed at this meeting.