Corporation silent on new bus stand for Tiruchi
The absence of any announcement on the integrated bus
stand and shifting of the wholesale sections of Gandhi Market, two of
the long-pending proposals, in Tiruchirapalli City Corporation Budget
for 2014-15 has come as a disappointment to city residents.
Despite
its oft repeated commitment to set up an integrated bus stand for the
city, the corporation has not been able to firm up the plan for a
variety of reasons. The vexed issue has eluded a consensus with respect
to the choice of location for the bus stand under successive
governments. The previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government had
planned to set up the bus stand at Panchapur but the present
dispensation does not seem to be very keen on the site. The All India
Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazahgam-led Corporation Council seems to be
awaiting a decision from the State government on the matter. The need
for a spacious bus stand for the rapidly expanding city cannot be over
emphasised, especially in the wake of the addition of five new wards in
the outskirts. Although the corporation used to make some token
allocations for the proposal almost every other year over the past
decade, the Budget for the next financial year remains silent on the
subject.
Some civic activists have been pitching for
getting the Defence land at Mannarpuram; but this could be a long drawn
out and difficult process. “It is disheartening to note that the
corporation has failed to give shape to the proposal that has been
pending for 20 years. It should identify a suitable location, preferably
get the Mannarpuram Defence land, to set up the bus stand. The
government should initiate the project and complete it before the end of
its term. People should not suffer for political reasons,” said H.
Ghouse Baig, Secretary, Golden Rock branch of Consumer Protection
Council, Tamil Nadu.
Wholesale market
Similarly, the civic body has failed to come up with any commitment on
shifting the wholesale sections of Gandhi Market, although in recent
months the Mayor and the Commissioner had made a series of announcements
on shifting the onion and banana wholesale sections.
The Budget, however, has indicated that the proposal on establishing a
bus stand for Srirangam would move forward this year. The project report
and the design of the bus stand had been prepared and the project work
would begin after obtaining administrative sanction from the government,
it says.
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/corporation-silent-on-new-bus-stand-for-tiruchi/article5713115.ece
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