Bhubaneswar, April 20: The state government has initiated a renewed attempt to renovate the Baramunda terminal here after two unsuccessful bids.

as part of its city bus modernisation plan.

More than 300 buses use the state's biggest bus terminal at Baramunda everyday, apart from about 350 light vehicles, such as cars and autorickshaws.

But, many infrastructure problems plague the terminal. Its parking premises are full of potholes and littered with garbage, while lack of amenities in the waiting rooms and irregular lodging facilities on the first floor add to passengers' woes.

Supriya Rath, who frequently uses this terminal, said there were no proper place to sit and wait for the buses here. "It becomes most inconvenient during the summer. The ceiling fans in the waiting halls do not work properly. Then the littering is another problem. There are no proper toilets. The administration should take care of these issues," said Rath, a Jatni resident.

A night-coach owner, Sangram Nayak, said: "Getting a proper place to park the bus is always a difficult task at Baramunda. Moreover, there are not much facilities either for passengers or drivers and helpers."

To address these issues, chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi has directed the transport department, which is the administrative authority of the bus terminal, to transfer the site to the Bhubaneswar Development Authority, which will then prepare the blueprint for its development.

The developments are expected to include construction of parking sheds, high-class waiting rooms for passengers, and public amenities such as provision for drinking water and toilets, market complex as well as plans to make the premises clean with installation of adequate dustbins.

"The transport department will entrust the responsibility for construction, operation and management of the terminal to the development authority ," said Padhi.

Earlier, the department had tried to take up the terminal's development, but failed because of various administrative delays and apathies. Sources said there were deficiencies in the project report and tender documents prepared by the transport department - which remained the reason that not many agencies were interested in taking up the terminal job.

In 2015, the department had received Rs 2.38 crore to renovate the terminal.

Then again in March last year, the department received another Rs 2 crore for the terminal's development. But, it again failed to execute the work no agency was interested in taking up the job then.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said that while taking up the terminal's renovation, they would follow the same procedure in which they were executing the smart city projects. "We will call up a meeting and are likely to hire a consultant - engaged for the smart city projects - to prepare a flawless project report to renovate the terminal," said Jena.