Bhubaneswar, April 18: One bus stand is delaying the modernisation project of another.

Work to build a temporary bus stand at Khandagiri began a year ago but things are moving on at a snail’s pace. The delay in building the temporary facility is affecting the much-awaited makeover of the existing bus terminal at Baramunda.

In one year, all that the authorities have managed to complete at Khandagiri is the ground-levelling work. The issue of delay has been raised on a number of occasions at meetings of the city management group and even in the Assembly. But nothing could affect the slow pace of work at Khandagiri.

However, sources in the transport department and the nodal authority for the project said work had gained momentum since last month.

The temporary bus terminal is supposed to have rest sheds, toilets, adequate lights and drinking water facilities along with an office for the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) and the Private Bus Owners’ Association.

Earlier, the private bus owners had expressed their reluctance to shift to the new place. They had complained that the area was too small to accommodate all the buses. The temporary bus terminal has an area of 2.9 acres whereas the existing terminal at Baramunda is 14.3 acres and can accommodate nearly 200 buses at a time.

To ensure that more buses can be parked at night, the transport department is also planning to close the road adjacent to the new terminal.

“We are ready to shift to the new place provided the authorities provide basic amenities for passengers. For the past one year we have been hearing about the new terminal but no one knows when work will end,” said Debashis Nayak, a spokesperson for the Private Bus Owners’ Association.

Speaking about the delay in building the Khandagiri facility, deputy manager (technical), OSRTC, Binod Chandra Nayak said: “Work has been accelerated and now construction of rest sheds is under progress. The construction of the temporary bus terminal will be over next month.”

OSRTC is constructing the temporary bus stand near Khandagiri.

The makeover plan for the Baramunda terminal was set into motion with the state government signing an agreement with a private company on March 16, 2011.

The project is being executed in the public private partnership mode.