Punjab Infrastructure Development Board floats tenders for new ISBT project in Patiala

Punjab government has assigned the project’s planning and execution to the PIDB; bidding to be carried out on October 24

The new inter-state bus terminal (ISBT)-cum-commercial complex project will finally see the light of the day as the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) has floated tenders for the project.

The new ISBT is the need of the hour as shortage of space at the present bus stand and increase in the number of buses has led to frequent traffic congestion in the Royal City, say residents. (HT FILE)

The plan has been hanging fire since past 14 years. The announcement for its construction was first made in 2005 by the then chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh. The new ISBT will be constructed on a 6.25 acre land at the cost of ₹52.34 crore.

The state government has assigned the task of the project’s planning and execution to the PIDB, which has engaged a consultant for implementation of the project in a time-bound manner.

Aparna Gupta, PIDB’s assistant general manager (technical) said, “Tenders have already been floated and the bidding process will be done on October 24.”

Gupta added the PIDM has issued tenders on behalf of the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC). The project will be carried out on basis of public-private partnership (PPP).

The district administration has already identified 8.5 acre land belonging to the Patiala Improvement Trust (PIT) on Patiala-Rajpura road, near Urban Estate for this project. Instead of spending money on purchasing land from the PIT, the PRTC has bartered the land with the Trust.

As per request for the proposal document, of total 8.5 acre land, the new ISBT will be constructed on 6.25 acre, while the remaining 2.25 acre is reserved for construction of the PRTC complex, covering the PRTC office building, workshops and fuel station.

The new ISBT is the need of the hour as shortage of space at the present bus stand and increase in the number of buses has led to frequent traffic congestion in the Royal City, say residents. There is hardly any space for parking of buses and drivers are forced to park the vehicles on the roadside.

PRTC’S EARLIER PROPOSAL REJECTED

With the earlier air-conditioned multi-storeyed inter-state bus terminal (ISBT) project failing to materialise due to legal hitches, the PRTC had submitted a proposal for construction of a new ISBTat the Rajpura Colony, but the state government had rejected the proposal.

In April last year, the PRTC had asked the transport department to take up the matter with the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) to transfer six acre land in the colony opposite to the present ISBT for construction of the new bus stand.

As per the proposal, the PRTC had planned to come up with two bus stands, one for long-route buses and the other for mini and local buses, but the state transport department viewed that the idea of having two separate bus stand was not going to solve purpose of having a modern ISBT.

PROJECT FIRST MOOTED IN 2005

The project was mooted in 2005 during the tenure of then chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and it was decided to shift the present bus stand to a new location on the Patiala-Rajpura road.

The state government acquired 20-acre land for the project, of which, former deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal laid the foundation stone in 2009.

But the project soon got entangled in legal hitches. After the laying of its foundation stone, the PRTC signed an MoU and handed over the project to a private company on the built-operate-transfer (BOT) basis in October 2009 and the company paid an initial amount of Rs 23.5 crore to the PRTC as lease money for 20 years, following which the PRTC handed over possession of the land to it.

However, despite repeated notices and communiqué to the company, they failed to start the project in stipulated time as per the MoU, following which it crashed in 2012.

Later, both the parties settled the issue through legal proceedings last year.

TIMELINE OF ISBT PROJECT

2005: The then CM Captain Amarinder Singh announced the projec

2009: Just before the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, former deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal laid foundation stone of the project; PRTC struck a deal with a construction company for project development and handed over land against a payment of ₹23.5 crore

2012: The MoU between both parties lapsed after the construction agency failed to start work; PRTC moved court, following which the matter was resolved in 2018

2017: After Congress government came into power, CM Captain Amarinder Singh announced the project; district administration identified the land and took possession of land on Patiala-Rajpura road

2018: PIDB given charge; consultant hired to complete project in time bound manner

2019: DPR cleared; tenders floated