Bathinda admn, army to sign MoU for state’s 1st AC bus stand next week

The development comes after Bathinda Cantonment authorities approved the new design of the four-storey project

The district administration and the army authorities in Bathinda Cantonment are expected to sign an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to start construction on Punjab’s first air-conditioned bus stand, the Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) on the Bathinda-Chandigarh road in Patel Nagar on the outskirts of the city, within the next 10 days, deputy commissioner B Srinivasan said on Monday. The facility will ensure that movement of buses in the city area in checked to a certain extent.

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The development comes after Bathinda Cantonment authorities approved the new design of the four-storey project. The DC added that the army had reservation, mainly to the entry point of the ISBT and not its basic design. Union food processing industries minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had laid the foundation stone of the project in 2016, but the army had objected to its proximity to the cantonment area.

“The Bathinda Improvement Trust will execute the project. As per a communiqué that the cantonment authorities have shared with us, a draft MoU has been sent to the army headquarters for final approval. We hope that the development project will start soon,” said the DC.

Bathinda Improvement Trust (BIT) executive officer Neeru Bala said the reworked design of the project had been accepted by the authorities. Of 18 acre, eight acre will be used for busways, two acre for workshop and a commercial complex will be developed on the rest of the eight acre. An air-conditioned waiting hall for passengers and restaurants will also be built. Parking will be built for 200 cars and similar number of two-wheelers.

Agreement could be inked within 10 days, says DC; the development comes after Bathinda Cantonment authorities approved the new design of the four-storey project to be built on 18 acre on the outskirts of the city