COIMBATORE: Even as Coimbatore corporation officials were expecting the state government to issue the government order (G.O.) regarding the integrated bus stand at Vellalore in Coimbatore, which has been discussed at various levels in the government on many occasions, to quickly facilitate the starting of the project, no G.O. has been issued yet.
The state government had announced the integrated bus stand for the Coimbatore city at a cost of Rs 120 crore. After the announcement, the corporation had called for a tender for preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for the bus stand.
Meanwhile, Mahindra Engineering Company has submitted the DPR to the corporation, which later forwarded it to the state government through the Municipal Administration department. But things have not moved beyond that stage, it appears as the Government order is yet to come.
“The State government planned to establish the bus stand at a cost of Rs 120 crore. But the corporation has submitted the DPR at cost of Rs 170 crores. The state government feels that the cost is too high. Meanwhile, the corporation has passed a resolution that it will bear the extra cost of Rs 50 crore from its general fund. So the ball is in the state government’s court and it has to decide the fate of the modern bus stand for the textile city,” said the corporation higher officials.
“It is disappointing to know that the state government is yet to release G.O. regarding the integrated bus stand. More than 15 years have passed, since the initiation of the bus stand proposal. The existing five bus stands are unable to meet the needs of the growing population. It is the right time for the state government to come out with the G.O. on the integrated bus stand. Once the Assembly election is announced, the bus stand work will at be delayed at least by more than a year,” said the DMK councillors.
The Corporation planned to establish a bus stand, which spread over 67 acres. It will be big enough to accommodate 900 buses. The buses from Singanallur, Gandhipuram, Ukkadam, Omni and SETC bus stands will en route be integrated to the bus stand at Vellalore.
