Cuttack: The transport and commerce department has told Orissa High Court that the boundary wall around the land allocated for the proposed modern bus terminus at Gopalpur will come up within three months.

The court on Thursday was hearing a PIL seeking intervention into the delay in execution of the project for which 42.643 acres of land had been allotted more than two years ago. Maitree Sansad, a social service organisation, had filed the PIL.

On March 13, the court had asked about the status of the land allotted for the purpose at Gopalpur, five km from the Badambadi bus station.

The transport and commerce department conceded that the boundary wall would be constructed over 35 acres as the rest seven acres had been entangled in a dispute and Rs 1.46 crore had been allocated for it.

Petitioner counsel Ajay Mohanty pointed out that the detailed project report for the proposed bus terminus was not ready.

Consequently, neither funds have been allocated for the project, nor tenders invited for its execution.

Taking note of the submission, the division bench of Chief Justice Vineet Saran and Justice B.R. Sarangi posted the matter to the first week of July for hearing along with an update on the project.

The court accordingly expected the transport and commerce department to submit a progress report on the project when the matter is taken up next.

The transport and commerce department had planned the new bus terminus in 2014 to provide adequate parking space for vehicles. It was also conceived to provide better passenger facilities and reduce traffic congestion on the city's Link Road connecting Badambadi bus station to NH-16 at Madhupatna.

Subsequently, 42.643 acres of land at Gopalpur was allotted in September 2015.

Construction of the bus terminus at Gopalpur is essential to accommodate buses coming to the Badambadi bus station from various parts of the state and outside. It was also required to reduce traffic congestion due to parking of buses along the Link Road.

The Traffic Management Committee for Cuttack had identified the vacant government land at Gopalpur and suggested ways and means to develop minimum infrastructure to park the buses.