Cuttack, July 5: Orissa High Court wants to know the reason behind the delay in construction of the proposed bus terminus at Gopalpur, where the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation's bus station, which is now at Badambadi, would be shifted.
The transport and commerce department had planned the new bus terminus more than a year ago to provide adequate parking space for the vehicles and proper facilities to passengers. It also aimed to reduce traffic congestion on the city's Link Road connecting Badambadi bus station with the National Highway No. 5 at Madhupatna. However, the project is yet to see the light of the day.
Social service organisation Maitree Sansad's member-advisor Akhaya Das filed a PIL in the high court and sought intervention for construction of the proposed bus terminus. It came up before the PIL bench for civic problems of Cuttack city on Friday.
"After preliminary hearing, the division bench of Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice S.C. Parija has posted the matter to the next sitting of the bench on Friday (July 10) for hearing, along with reply of the state government on the status of the proposed modern bus terminus at Gopalpur," petitioner counsel Ajay Mohanty said.
At present, more than a thousand buses move in and out of Badambadi bus station every day. But, there is lack of adequate parking space for the buses that arrive here from various parts of the state and outside. Besides, the bus stand also lacks proper facilities for the passengers. An estimated 5,000 passengers depend on it on a daily basis, the PIL contends.
Sources said the state transport and commerce department had identified a 40-acre patch of vacant unutilised government land at Gopalpur, easily accessible from the NH-5 and earmarked it for development of a modern bus terminus. It is 5km from Badambadi.
A proposal to transfer of the revenue department land at Gopalpur in favour of the commerce and transport department had been submitted to the Cuttack district administration. The matter was put up before the revenue divisional commissioner (central) for approval.
The revenue divisional commissioner had placed some questions before the commerce and transport department on the commercial implications of the proposed modern bus stand project. "The process of land allotment is expected to be cleared with the submission of details on the use of the land for development of the modern bus terminus," a transport department official said, on condition of anonymity.
The court has issued notices to the transport and commerce department secretary to file by Friday an affidavit on the status of the bus terminus project at Gopalpur, along with steps being taken for renovation of Badambadi bus stand. Notices were also issued to the corporation's managing director, revenue divisional commissioner (central) and the Cuttack collector.
