Many government offices have shifted to Salt Lake, particularly to Sector V, but the township’s infrastructure is proving totally inadequate. Office-goers from different parts of the city and the districts suffer a harrowing time commuting every day.

Buses are few and taxis fewer. After working hours, long queues are filed at the bus stops, as the homeward-bound have no alternative but to wait. The trip home is all the more arduous because of potholed roads. To compound matters, there are very few eateries to feed the hungry workforce.

Now, in the face of mounting pressure from the coordination committee, the largest CPM-controlled state government employees’ body, the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee regime has decided to give the infrastructure a head start. It will put on road some private, air-conditioned buses that will ply from the city and Howrah to the Webel complex, Bhattacharjee’s IT hub.

“Special permits will be issued to private operators to ply the buses from the city to Sector V. These luxury buses will have limited stops and provide more facilities to passengers,’’ said director H. Mohan of the public vehicles department (PVD).

The fare, officials said, has been pegged at Rs 10 per trip. Initially, the buses will ply from Beleghata-Kadapara in the east, Howrah in the west, the airport-Baguiati in the north and Gariahat-Park Circus in the south.

Apart from the luxury buses, shuttle services will be introduced from Salt Lake’s entry points to the Webel complex. These will operate from Ultadanga, the EM Bypass (the intersection of New Township Road), Salt Lake (Karunamoyee) and Beleghata. These shuttle services will be available only during office hours. The buses will touch every block of Sector V for the benefit of employees and visitors.

Nearly 2,000 health department employees had initially refused to shift to their new offices in Salt Lake, citing problems of transport and food. The coordination committee took up the matter with chief minister Bhattacharjee and health minister Surjya Kanta Mishra and were assured of remedial measures.

There are about 7,000 employees in about 50 offices of government departments, semi-government agencies and multinational companies. That apart, there are nearly 350 information technology units. Also, about 5,000 people visit Sector V for various reasons every day.

Coordination committee secretary Smarajit Roychowdhury said the health employees were justified in refusing to shift to Salt Lake. “Government employees are bound to work wherever they are posted but, at the same time, the government should ensure that their basic needs, like transport and food, are met,’’ he said.

PVD director Mohan admitted: “Transport services in Sector V are very poor compared with other parts of Salt Lake. As Sector V is not a residential area, operators aren’t interested in plying buses there. The state buses, too, are insufficient.”

To feed the growing workforce, Webel plans to deploy mobile food kiosks at tiffin time.