BASURI DESAI
The pathetic inter-state bus bay at Patto is being developed by the Public Works Department. The commuters will now have a pleasant environment and the operators a safe place to park their vehicles after long journeys from neighbouring states.
“The work of levelling the ground is being handled by PWD,” said Panjim MLA Siddharth Kunkolienkar when contacted. No other agencies knew who were handling the developmental work of the bus bay.
This bus bay, which was at the Mandovi Bridge, was shifted to Patto post commencement of the third bridge over river Mandovi. Since then the condition of the parking area was very pathetic, portraying a very ugly picture to the tourists arriving from other states through the buses.
The work of clearing and leveling the entire ground of 17,000 sq mtrs has commenced and almost half the work is completed by the PWD.
Surprisingly, neither the custodian of land Transport department is aware of the present development nor the local authority, the Corporation City of Panaji, nor the KTCL (Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited).
Prakash Azavedo, Deputy Director of Transport (North), said that the land was acquired for the purpose of construction of a Transport Bhavan where all the offices of the department would have been shifted. The proposal is still with the government for consideration, he added.
“We have no knowledge of whatever construction or development at the Patto, nor we have proposed any bus terminal project at the site,” Azavedo told Herald.
CCP Mayor Surendra Furtado also informed that there is no permission or NOC given to any of the construction agencies to develop or construct the bus bay at Patto. He said that CCP is not aware of any such developmental work at Patto.
Sanjay Ghate, General Manager of Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL), said that the land, which was with them, was handed over to Transport Department in the year 2009 for the purpose of construction of a Transport Bhavan.
Another officer of KTCL said that the All India Permit buses, which are plying on inter-state routes, have to make their own arrangement for parking near their respective offices.
“It is not our duty to provide parking space to the buses with such permits as per law but as they cater to a large number of tourists it is the duty of a local civic body to provide possible infrastructure,” another officer said.
Inquiry at the present bus bay has revealed that the collection of Rs 300 as a fee is being done by some person but no authority has claimed or admitted doing it.
However, the inter-state terminal is a need of the hour since the bay brings in and takes out a large number of commuters, maximum of who are tourists.
