Private bus stand yet to get facilities

The new bus stand in town has finally started commissioning, beginning on Wednesday.

The bus shelter, however, is yet to be provided with basic facilities.

Following public demand made at a Janasamparka Sabhe recently, MLA Appachu Ranjan had asked private bus operators to provide stops at the new private bus stand in Kushalnagar. Accordingly, the private buses started ferrying passengers at the new bus stand on Wednesday.

Work on the private bus stand in Kushalnagar – which is one of the fastest developing hoblis – has not been completed even after seven years of its initiation.

A small land, next to the KSRTC bus stop in the heart of the town, was allocated for the construction of the private bus stand. The construction work was started in December 2012, under the Nagarotthana Project and the chief minister’s grants.

The initial project cost was Rs 40 lakh. After almost seven years, the project cost has nearly doubled, to Rs 75 lakh. The work on the building has been completed, but basic facilities such as restrooms, drinking water facility and electricity are yet to be provided at the bus stand.

The work on the road that is meant to provide a direct connectivity between the main road and the new private bus stand is yet to be taken up. Currently, the buses have been asked to ply on the Ayyappa Swamy Temple Road.

If constructed, a direct road will benefit passengers from Virajpet, Siddapur, Gonikoppa, Somwarpet, Shanivarasanthe, Kodlipet, Suntikoppa and Chettalli, who travel to Kushalnagar and the nearby villages.

More than 50 private buses can ply on the proposed road. The villagers, meanwhile, have demanded that the Ayyappa Swamy Temple Road be widened as the road is very narrow. Two buses cannot ply on the road at the same time, they have pointed out.

Confusion dominated the scene as V P Nagesh, a resident of Ayyappa Swamy Temple Road in Kushalnagar, has dug up the road leading to the private bus stand using an earthmover. The work has especially caused a lot of inconvenience for the movement of the buses.

Nagesh, when contacted, claimed that 10% of the land connecting the new bus stand belongs to him. Although the Town Panchayat had assured of providing him with compensation 13 years ago, the promise has not been fulfilled, he added.

Nagesh also maintained that he would not allow the buses to enter the private bus stand until he was suitably recompensed.

He refused to pay heed to the requests of Appacchu Ranjan and Town Panchayat chief officer Sujay Kumar.

There was also an exchange of words between private bus operators and Nagesh on the issue.

Following a complaint by the chief officer, however, the police confiscated the earthmover.

Sujay Kumar said that the Town Panchayat has all the right to construct the bus stand on the Ayyappa Swamy Temple Road.

“A resident by name Nagesh has been creating an issue unnecessarily. The Town Panchayat is ready for a legal battle in this regard,” he declared.