Bhubaneswar: The Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bus Terminal (BSABT) at Baramunda in Bhubaneswar is set to emerge as a major transport-cum-business hub with IT companies soon beginning operations from the facility.
The announcement was made by Housing and Urban Development Minister and Chairman of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, during a special function held at BSABT for the handover of shop keys to beneficiaries on Tuesday.
BDA Vice Chairman Chanchal Rana, the local corporator and senior officials of the authority were present during the key handover ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said the integration of IT companies would significantly enhance the importance of the bus terminal beyond transportation. He recalled that the Chief Minister had earlier announced the operation of a global visa application centre at BSABT.
“With IT companies also functioning from the terminal, the overall activity and footfall will increase substantially. This will create a vibrant atmosphere and ensure that the business of small vendors provided shops here flourishes in the coming days,” he said.
The BDA, which is currently managing the state-of-the-art terminal, has decided to rent out space across two floors of the BSABT for IT companies, paving the way for a unique blend of transport, services and technology under one roof.
Vice Chairman Chanchal Rana said the presence of IT companies would lead to a surge in daily footfall, directly benefiting vendors operating within the terminal. “Earlier, many vendors were forced to sit outside the bus terminal. In the new BSABT, they have been provided air-conditioned shops, enabling them to earn a decent and dignified livelihood,” he said.
Earlier in September, the BDA had conducted a lottery for the allotment of 112 shops at BSABT on a monthly rental basis. Beneficiaries were selected following a detailed survey conducted by the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC), which had managed the old Baramunda bus terminal. The allotted shops are equipped with uninterrupted power supply, water connections and round-the-clock security, and agreements have already been signed with the BDA.
Spread across 11 acres, BSABT is Odisha’s largest bus terminal, handling over 1,500 buses and nearly 20,000 passengers daily on inter-state and intra-state routes, making it a vital transit hub for the state.
