Angul: A high-tech bus terminal project at Angul town in this district, the foundation stone of which was laid seven years back, has eluded the local denizens. The ambitious project has allegedly made little progress since then.
Two contract firms concerned namely Angul Bus Terminal Company (Pvt.) Limited and Milan Developers and Builders (Pvt.) Limited who had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Talcher- Angul-Meramundali Development Authority (TAMDA) in this regard have delayed progress and the district administration is in a limbo.
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Notably, the contract firms have already taken seven years time and still left bus terminal construction work under way, as against only two years mentioned in the MoU. Moreover, the firms have written to the state government for further extension of six month’s time.
Worthy to note, high-tech bus terminal at Angul town was a longwaited demand of local residents. A high level meeting of state transport department which was chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had decided on the setting up of bus terminals at Angul, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Sambalpur on July 13, 2011
Following the CM’s order in this connection, tendering process for Angul bus terminal was initiated and the MoU was signed on April 9, 2012. Estimated cost of the high-tech project was Rs 56.31 crore.
As per the MoU, the proposed bus terminal was to be constructed on 9.72 acres of land. Accordingly, a fund of Rs 13.95 crore was sanctioned for bus terminal on 5.83 acres of land and Rs 42.36 crore was sanctioned for a commercial complex here on 3.89 acres of land.
The contract firms were required to start construction within six months, monitor maintenance work for the next 15 years and posses the commercial complex on lease for a period of 99 years.
The district administration has conducted several review meetings in this regard, but nothing concrete has so far materialized, a source said.
PNN