After missing three deadlines in two years, Birsa Munda Bus Terminal at Khadgarha is finally looking ready to welcome passengers. With receiving the final finishing touches, the bus terminus is all set to be inaugurated on November 15 most probably by Chief Minister Raghubar Das.
Sprawled across 80,000 square feet, the first 'international-level' bus terminal of the State faced hurdles in form of encroachment and overhead high-tension wires since work began. The project, worth Rs15 crore, began in 2013 have been awaiting conclusion since.
When the bus stand failed to meet first two deadlines in Nov 2014 and June this year, Das ordered work to be completed by the end of September so that it could be inaugurated on Oct 2, but this deadline was missed too. But with all problems taken care of and construction work almost complete, the failures of the past won't be repeated this time, it would seem.
"All bottlenecks resolved, we want to finish this project as soon as possible. We have almost completed work here and are in process of clearing construction material from the site. Electrical wiring and appliances have been installed in the rooms and we are in process of cleaning the premises. We will handover the bus terminal positively by November 10," said RS Agarwal, proprietor of RS Agarwal Infratech Pvt ltd, the firm overseeing the project.
The bus stand offers a wide array of services for the passengers, including a passenger shed covering 40,000 square feet, two waiting rooms, complete with restrooms, four ticket counters, separate lavatories for men and women, food plazas and several shops.
Those wishing to stay can choose from the two dormitories, one each for men and women or twelve rooms, six with air-conditioning and rest without. The management of the bus stand, rooms and food plazas will be outsourced to private parties. "The 18 shops have already been auctioned and allotted to interested parties. But we are still looking for parties to undertake management of the twelve rooms and two food plazas. Tenders have been floated for the same, though," stated Ranchi Municipal Corporation PRO Naresh Kumar Sinha.
The rooms and one of food plazas is to be handed over to a party, who will also look after security, lighting and sanitation arrangements for the bus terminus. Another food plaza will be run by another party.