Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has decided to set up two modern inter-state bus terminals (ISBTs) in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack soon.
While the Baramunda bus stand in Bhubaneswar would be developed as a modern inter-state bus terminal, another terminal would be set up at Gopalpur, on the outskirts of Cuttack city.
The government took the decision on the setting up of the inter-state bus terminal at Baramunda at a high-level meeting, held at the State Secretariat here on Wednesday. The meeting was presided over by Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi.
Informing the mediapersons, BDA Vice Chairperson Krishan Kumar said the preliminary estimate for this terminal has been pegged at Rs 180 crore.
He said the construction of the project would be made under the EPC (Engineering Procurement Construction) contract mode.
Of the total estimated cost, the State Government would provide 40 % of the cost while another 40 % of the cost would be provided through a loan from the Odisha Urban Infrastructure Development Fund (OUIDF). The remaining 20 % of the amount provided from the City Infra Development Fund (CIDF), Kumar added.
The project, scheduled to begin by the end of June, will be completed within 15 months. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared in this connection.
Kumar further said a place has been identified near Khandagiri for the purpose of a temporary bus stand.
The proposed terminal which would come up in an area of more than 15 acres, will have a space of 4 acres for commercial development in future.
Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan, CMD of Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC), Kanwar Brajesh Singh, Principal Secretary, Finance, TK Pandey, Principal Secretary, Commerce and Transport G Srinivas, Special Secretary Manoj Mishra, Secretary, Housing and Urban Development G Mathivathanan, Special Secretary Prem Kumar Jha, Police Commissioner YB Khurania and senior officials of the departments concerned were present at the meeting.
Besides, a decision to the set up another inter-state bus terminal at Gopalpur was taken in another meeting presided over by the Commerce and Transport Minister Nrusingha Charan Sahu in Cuttack the same day.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, the Minister said for the proposed project, the government will acquire 40 acres of land while a boundary wall of the terminal would be built at a cost of Rs 3 crore.
Stating that the estimated cost of the proposed project is Rs 500 crore, he said the project would facilitate daily movement of about 1000 buses.
Sahu further said the renovation work of the bus stand at Badambadi in the Millennium city is being taken up by the Odisha State Police Housing and Welfare Corporation Ltd.
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