Berhampur: To attract more tourists to Ganjam’s scenic destinations, the district administration had introduced the ‘Ganjam Darshan’ bus service, assigning its operations to the Berhampur Development Authority (BeDA). However, the project failed to roll out as anticipated and the brand-new buses have been gathering dust at the City Bus Depot in Haladiapadar near Berhampur.
Initially launched with much fanfare, the service faced a significant setback due to high ticket prices, which led to a decline in passenger numbers and ultimately rendered the project unsuccessful. As a result, the buses have been left unused for an extended period, exposed to weather conditions at the BeDA office premises. Moreover, the BeDA and the district administration took no measures to reuse the buses by reviving the service.
The ‘Ganjam Darshan’ bus service was inaugurated by former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik December 12, 2022, with an aim of showcasing key destinations across the district to the tourists. The itinerary included stops at scenic and cultural tourist sites, with provisions for refreshments and lunch along the way.
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The bus service started operations a few days after the inauguration and the first batch of tourists were from Sraddha Sanjeevani Ashram. Departing from Ramalingeswara Park at 7am in the morning, the bus visited popular locations like the Tara Tarini temple shrine before taking a halt at the Purushottampur Dak Bungalow for breakfast.
Later, the bus took the tourists to Jaugarh, Nirmaljhar and stopped at Bateswar for lunch. The bus then left for Potagarh, Tampara Lake and reached Gopalpur beach by evening where the tourists were served snacks before returning to Ramalingeswara Park in Berhampur by 6.45pm. The bus used to cover 165 kilometres for a ticket price of `950.
However, with rising fares from time to time, tourists expressed dissatisfaction, prompting the administration to add additional sites such as Biranchi Narayan temple at Buguda, Buddhakhol, Marada, Sarana Srikhetra, Singhasini, Taptapani, Ujjaleswar, Ghodahada dam, Maa Bala Kumari temple, Pati Sunapur and the Mahuri Kalua temple to the itinerary.
Unfortunately, this expansion failed to revive the popularity of the tourist bus service. The vehicles, now parked at the BeDA office, show visible signs of deterioration, including damaged tyres and peeling paint.
In addition to the ‘Ganjam Darshan’ buses, four buses were also introduced for trips to the hilltop Tara Tarini temple. These buses are also out of service now, gathering dust at the depot — a clear indication of the district administration’s planning failure.
When contacted, Ramesh Hansda, secretary of BeDA said there are plans to reintroduce the bus service by floating a tender. Moreover, efforts are on to make the project successful, he added.
PNN
