Jajpur: The construction of a proposed modern bus terminal in this district headquarters town has remained a non-starter despite the then-state government sanctioning funds for the project in 2018. The project has not made any headway in the last six years owing to alleged administrative negligence. Jajpur town is famous for a number of religious shrines like Maa Biraja temple, Saptamatruka temple on Baitarani river bank, Baraha temple and Kusuma tank which are of immense mythological, historical and tourism importance.
Maa Biraja is the presiding deity of the district and the temple draws thousands of devotees on daily basis from within and outside the district. The district headquarters town has undergone significant changes following land acquisition for establishment of a medical college, mini secretariat, up-gradation of the district headquarters hospital (DHH), district court, road expansion works and renovation of Kusuma tank. However, the construction of the modern bus terminal near Kianali in the town, which received sanction in June, 2018, is yet to take off except for the land acquisition. On the other hand, devotees and tourists visiting these temples and places of tourist attraction in the district are undergoing harrowing experiences in the absence of a modern bus terminal in the town.
Sources said the state Housing and Urban Development Department sanctioned funds in three phases for the construction of the proposed bus terminal, June 12, 2018. The state government also directed the Jajpur municipality authorities to withdraw the sanctioned funds and deposit it in the account of the executive engineer of Panikoili roads and Buildings (R and B) department for the purpose. The then under-secretary PK Sahu of the state Housing and Urban Development Department in his letter no-15109, dated12.06.2018 sanctioned Rs 1.17 crore, in letter no-15103, dated-12.06.2018 sanctioned Rs 45.17 lakh and letter no-15097, dated-12.06.2018 sanctioned Rs 33.38 lakh towards the project. The town has an old and small bus stand.
However, passenger buses entering the town and leaving the bus-stand find it difficult to traverse through the town due to acute traffic problems. That prompted the then state government to decide constructing a new and modern bus terminal at Kianali in the town. Similarly, the government identified land for the construction of a bus stand at Bindhan mouza under Panasa panchayat of Sadar block. A tender was floated for the purpose December 7, 2021. The Works department approved the tender submitted by consultancy firm Sai Shiva Construction and asked it to start work, January 11, 2022. The consultancy agency also paid Rs 2.91 crore towards the security deposit. However, the price of construction materials increased due to delays in land acquisition. The agency informed that it could no longer work on the project as per old rates and warned to pull back if prices were not revised.
However, the construction of a modern bus terminal and the bus stand at Bindhan mouza has failed to make any progress after being caught in bureaucratic red-tapism, sources said. When contacted, assistant executive engineer Bhagaban Sahoo of the Works department said land has been acquired for the bus terminal, and assured that steps will be taken at the earliest for the construction.