Post News Network
Puri, March 10: The transport department is constructing a modern bus stand at Malatipatpur along the Bhubaneswar-Puri National Highway (NH) to regulate traffic during the upcoming Nabakalebar rituals of the presiding deities of the Jagannath temple here.
The bus stand, which is coming up on a 10 acre plot at an expenditure of Rs 70 crore, will be the first in the state to have all modern facilities, according to transport department sources.
Buses coming from different places of the state will not be allowed to enter the Holy City during the mega event and will be parked at the Malatipatpur bus stand, said sources in the district administration.
The government has roped in a private construction company, Real India Techno Economics Service (RITES), to execute the project, according to sources.
The bus stand will have three terminals with the first terminal having the capacity of accommodating at least 100 buses.
Long-distance buses will be asked to drop and pick up passengers at the second terminal, where around 40 autorickshaws will be stationed to ferry people to their destinations.
The third terminal will be used for providing round-the-clock bus service to people. At least 500 buses can be stationed at the third terminal, sources said.
The bus stand will also have 30 utility outlets and three ATM counters for the benefit of passengers. Besides, a few dormitories will also be set up to provide night stay facility to passengers, according to Sanjay Mahapatra, the special secretary of the transport department.
A 4,000 litre overhead tank will be installed at the bus stand to provide drinking water to the passengers, said Mahapatra. Fire extinguishers will also be kept at the Malatipatpur bus stand, he said.
The district administration plans to establish a police barracks and a control room at the bus stand to ensure that there is no untoward incident. Moreover, close circuit television (CCTV) cameras will be installed and armed guards will be deployed to check the movement of anti-social elements at the bus stand.
