Team Herald
MARGAO: TCP Minister and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai began consultative planning of conceiving what he terms ‘one of the best bus terminuses of the country’ and held the first round of meeting with stake holders to begin planning of the Margao KTC Bus stand.
Calling the plan as FMBT (Fatorda Margao Bus Terminal) he revealed that the bus stand would be designed and built at an estimated cost of Rs 350 crore, the sanction of which has already been received from the Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
However, nothing is decided whether to develop it on a PPP model or as a state-built project. However, in this connection he held a meeting on Monday with all stakeholders including rickshaw, taxi, motorcycle pilots, gaddas, tourist and interstate buses and others dependent directly and indirectly on the bus stand.
Vijai said for the past five years the project had remained in a limbo due to the unnecessary infrastructure added to the earlier plan of the bus stand. “We will give a presentation on the entire bus stand plan within 10 days and will include all even after the project is over. We need to have more meetings as there are many stakeholders,” he said.
Speaking to gadda owners on the bus stand and beyond and on accommodating them into the bus stand project, the TCP minister said the Rs 350 crores project has been passed not for subletting to the gadekaars and if there is sub-letting now and if this continues then the money and the planning is of no use. He said the Chief Minister had approved the project so that the Goans benefit from it.
The minister has also directed the Margao Municipal Council Municipal engineer to survey all the gadas and establishments in and around the KTCP bus stand and submit a report in two days with the details on how many have licences, how many are sub-let and other details.
The follow up meeting of this plan will be held on June 4 again wherein the GSIDC, KTC, TCP, PDA, MMC and others will attend and the plan will be revealed threadbare.
We have to cater to both classes, the ones who want economical choices and also the ones who want malls, he said, adding that all associations of the stakeholders have to take resolutions and hand them to us before the next meet.
