The Chhattisgarh government has approved the Raipur-Durg Metro rail project, a critical step toward the creation of the State Capital Region (SCR), modelled after the National Capital Region (NCR).

This strategic initiative aims to integrate Raipur and the Durg-Bhilai belt into a unified urban cluster, enhancing regional connectivity, reducing congestion, and streamlining infrastructure for the over five million people projected to live in the area by 2031. To initiate the project, the state has allocated Rs 50 million in the 2024–25 budget for a comprehensive metro study.

The approval also enables the establishment of the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA), tasked with planning and implementing the SCR. The CRDA will be chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and include cabinet ministers, senior bureaucrats, MLAs, and representatives from urban local bodies. A Chief Executive Officer will serve as the Member-Secretary.

The CRDA will manage land use planning, infrastructure investments, and environmental governance across the SCR. It is also empowered to levy a special infrastructure cess to fund capital-intensive projects like the metro. The authority will submit periodic budgets and progress reports to the state government.