Rourkela: Construction work for completion of the Rourkela Transport Nagar at Beldihi, a little ahead of Vedvyas, is going on in full swing. The project is being developed in PPP mode. The Odisha government has approved the construction of 14 ‘transport nagars’ across the state.
The ‘transport nagar’ here is being constructed by private entrepreneur Anup Gupta. He informed that the project cost will vary between Rs80-100 crore. “The ‘transport nagar’ is coming up on 12 acres of land near Beldihi. We have finished the construction of the boundary wall. We are now seeking permission from the National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) to develop the approach road to the terminal,” said Gupta.
“We will soon start construction of the dormitory for drivers and also parking bays for vehicles. Vehicles with four to 16 or more wheels can be parked at the ‘transport nagar’,” Gupta added.
The terminal would have facilities like offices for transporters, and shops for spare parts including lubricants and tyres. There will be other benefits like medicine and barber shops. There will also be a number of storage places and accommodations for tired truck drivers, officials informed.
Gupta informed that to recover the investments, spaces will ‘either be sold or leased out’ to people willing to set up business establishments. The charges per square feet would be fixed after discussion with the administration, he said. “Vehicles would also be charged for parking,” Gupta added.
Gupta however, could not offer a tentative date by which the project will be fully operational. However, he is hopeful that the ‘transport nagar’ will be functional by the second half of 2024.
This project was initially conceptualised in 2005. In 2007 the then ADM Dr Kishan Kumar took interest and prepared a detailed project report. However, with Kumar’s transfer in 2008, the project got shelved. Since then there had been occasions when efforts have been made to revive the project.
Last year a team from Rourkela Chamber of Commerce and Industries (RCCI) led by former president Subrat Pattnaik had met Collector Nikhil Pawan Kalyan and that led to the revival of the project. “We have been assured that the work will be completed as soon as possible,” Pattnaik said.
PNN