Daringbadi: Public transportation here in Kandhamal district got a boost after a government passenger bus started plying for the first time from Jharsuguda in western Odisha to Daringbadi in Kandhmal district, Thursday.
The launch of the service will help connect Daringbadi in south Odisha with Jharsuguda in western Odisha. The bus will run via Baliguda, Raikia, Udayagiri, Katingia, Tikabali, Phulbani and Boudh.
This will improve passenger transport facilities in Daringbadi as many of the areas under the block are inaccessible due to lack of adequate public transport system. Passengers travelling in the bus were happy. They thanked the transport minister Padmanabha Behera and MLA Saluga Pradhan for the launch of the service.
A delegation of residents led by G Udayagiri MLA Saluga Pradhan had met the transport minister during the Sita Utsav celebrations and submitted a memorandum to him demanding to connect remote Daringbadi with Jharsuguda, Koraput, Jeypore and Puri through launch of bus services.
Saluga was accompanied by merchant association president Arun Kumar Sahu, members Saroj Sahu, Manas Kumar Sarkar and Ladu Kishore Sahu. Behera assured them to look into their demands and make efforts for launch of bus service in the area. After successful launch of the Daringbadi-Jharsuguda bus service, efforts are on to launch similar services to other areas, the minister said.
Earlier, government passenger bus service was only available from Bhanjanagar in Ganjam district to Daringbadi and from the district headquarters Phulbani to Hatimunda and Katingia. This apart, private passenger bus service is also available to Daringbadi from Bhubaneswar and Berhampur.
Connectivity to various regions in Daringbadi is slowly improving with construction of pucca and black-topped roads, the bus driver Tuna Sahu said. The improved road structure has helped in plying of light and heavy vehicles in the area, he said.