While reviewing the progress report of Uttarakhand transport department at Bijapur guest house on Friday, Chief Minister Harish Rawat stressed on the bus stands across the State being modernised and made operational commercially.
He directed the officials concerned to go the whole hog of upgrading the bus stands and accelerating their commercial activities.
For the purpose, the transport department will arrange a loan of Rs25 crore from the banks with the State Government acting as the guarantor. CM said that the department can advertise on the up-gradation schemes. Such initiatives would not just build up the commercial capacity of the bus stations but would enable the people learn about the Government schemes to be launched in the public interests, he said.
A slew of schemes have been spelt out during the meeting which would go a long way in upgrading the bus services across the State.
As per the instructions, the transport department will develop two integrated bus circuits soon. The first would be the Dehradun circuit
covering Dehradun, Roorkee,Vikasnagar and nearby areas and the second would be the Haldwani circuit covering Haldwani, Almora, Nainital and nearby areas.
Nine bus stands at Ramnagar, Kichha, Shrinagar, Bajpur, Kaleshwar, Bhagwanpura, Rudrapur and Champawat will be inaugurated soon. More than 400 new buses will be launched by the transport corporation at the earliest to enable the passengers travel, sans any hitch.
What is more, the State Government is considering to develop an integrated bus circle at Harrawala to resolve the problem of congestion of buses at Dehradun depot.
Considering the growing numbers of tourists across the State, more Volvo and other luxury buses will be arranged for remotest regions of Uttarakhand. They would run parallel to the conventional buses. Furthermore, frequency and services of the buses plying in the remote areas will be improved at the behest of the transport corporation.
CM made it clear that the land transfer process for the new bus stands must be completed as early as possible. He further asked the department to complete the construction of luxer bus stand immediately.
As per the directions imparted by the CM, bus services from Dharchula and Munsiyari to Dehradun will be started next week. This aside, a depot in Tarikhet of Ranikhet will be constructed. Ramnagar ISBT will be completed by September. Deluxe bus services will be started on the route of Pithoragarh-Dehradun.
Roadways bus services will be started from Delhi to Jankichatti Yamunotri. Besides, land will be earmarked for the construction of a bus station at Joshiyada in Uttarkashi district.
Proposal regarding the construction of roadways station in Jaspur will be obtained from the district magistrate Udham Singh Nagar. Construction of Uttarakhand Transport Corporation Depot will be started in New Tehri with the help of the MlA fund.
Besides, land will be acquired from the DM to construct a bus station at Ghansali. Rudrapur bus station (on BOT mode) will be constructed on a priority basis too, the meeting decided.