The new-look integrated bus terminus in Khadgarha - the capital's biggest bus stand that was formally inaugurated by chief minister Raghubar Das amid huge fanfare on November 13 last year - is yet to open its much-touted state-of-the-art facilities for passengers.
For, delay in construction of the approach road and parking space has rendered Birsa Munda Bus Terminus, spread over 72,415sqft and revamped at a cost of Rs 15.18 crore, out of bounds for around 300 interstate buses that operate from this junction daily.
Further, facilities like AC and non-AC rooms, dormitories, washrooms and food courts - developed as part of the facelift plan conceived by Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) in 2012-13 - are lying unused in the absence of any proper drainage.
Though the RMC had initially promised to throw open the entire facility by December-end last year, given the present status - only 40 per cent of the 250 metre approach road and 10 per cent of the drainage have been completed - it is anybody's guess when this dream project, which was actually supposed to be completed within 18 months, <> will be ready.
The double-storey terminus building boasts 18 shops, two food courts, 36 ticket and two inquiry counters, six AC and six non-AC rest rooms, two separate dormitories for men and women, among others. But none of them have been opened.
"Passengers are forced to buy food and water from the roadside eateries which are very unhygienic. Even the dormitories and the rest rooms are still closed. The authorities should do something to start the facilities at the earliest, at least for the safety of women," said Sujata Mallick, a passenger.
Interestingly, even ticket counters are lying unused as bus operators prefer to run their counters in the open.
"Open space is more convenient than ticket counters for us and passengers too. Once the parking space is ready, we will think of going to the ticket counters set up inside," said a conductor of a Ranchi-Patna bus.
When contacted, additional municipal commissioner Ram Lakhan Prasad Gupta said blamed Public Works Department (PWD), which is working on the drainage, and Ranchi-based contractor Lakshmi Jaiswal, who is building the approach road, for the delay.
"PWD is doing the drains and the progress of work is very slow. Some other work is also left. All the 18 shops have been allotted to individuals through open tender. A catering group from outside Jharkhand has qualified for running the food courts. RMC has already signed agreements with them. But they want to start their operations only after the drains are ready. We have sent a reminder to PWD and other contractors to complete their work soon," he said.
Gupta added that the civic body would also float tender for running dormitories and retiring rooms soon.