Angul: Four years have passed since the foundation was laid for a new bus-terminal here, but the project is limping. The dream of the residents to have a modern bus terminal remains unfulfilled as the construction agency has done nothing more than erecting some columns.
The new terminal was planned to be built over 9.72 acres of land with an outlay of Rs 56.31 crore. According to the MoU, the new terminal will be constructed over 5.83 acres of land at an investment of Rs 13.95 crore while a commercial complex will come up on a 3.89 acre land inside the premises with an investment of Rs 42. 36 crore. The idea was to start the work within six months of awarding of the contract and finish the project within a period of two years.
Collectorate sources said that unavailability of fund has slowed down the project, as the work is undertaken on PPP mode. Moreover internal problems of the implementing agency and lack of environmental clearance has also slowed down the project, they added.
Locals say the agency has put up a fence around the construction site to conceal the lack of progress in work from public view. District collector Anil Kumar Samal visited the site July 21 last year and directed the agency to expedite the works. The agency simply ignored his directive, prompting the collector to undertake a review of the project December 21. Again, the agency was asked to speed up the construction work. Nothing, however, has moved in the past few months.
The state government decided to construct a modern bus terminal in view of the increasing influx of people from near and far, due to the presence of various industries and mines in the district. Accordingly, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stone for the project June 28, 2013.
The decision to have a modern bus terminal at Angul along with Sambalpur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Dhenkanal was taken during a high-level meeting held by the transport department at Angul, July 13, 2011. The transport department floated the tender for the Angul bus-terminal and awarded the contract to a private construction firm, Milan Developers and Builders Pvt Ltd. An MoU was signed between the Talcher Angul Meramandali Development Authority and the construction firm to start the work on a public-private partnership mode.
As per the agreement, the consultant agency would look after the maintenance and upkeep of the terminal for 15 years while it will keep the business establishments on lease for 90 years.
The aim was to make the new bus terminal attractive to the people by having facilities like a hotel, a market complex, a recreation centre, a waiting hall for passengers, demarcated space for movement of buses — a provisions for simultaneous movement of 20 buses at a single time — parking slots, toilets, restaurants, cafeterias, shops, kiosks and a public address system.
When contacted, the project engineer of the agency promised the work would start soon. TAMDA secretary Rainu Singh said work remained stopped and the implementing agency is yet to renew its application for construction of the commercial complex. PNN
