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After missing several deadlines, new Patiala bus stand to be ready by March-end
The new hi-tech bus stand in Patiala missed April and December 2022 deadlines despite its foundation stone being laid in October 2020 and its construction being started in January 2021.
The new hi-tech bus stand in Patiala missed April and December 2022 deadlines despite its foundation stone being laid in October 2020 and its construction being started in January 2021.
“Expected to be completed in around 15 months, this modern and passenger-friendly bus stand will supplement the existing bus stand,” an official release of the state government in 2020 said.
The delay in the completion and inauguration is said to be due to delayed funds and shortage of labour. According to the officials of the public works department (buildings & roads), the new deadline for the completion of the bus stand and workshop is March 31, 2023. An official of the PWD said the estimated cost of the project was ₹60.97 crore. According to Mayank Kansal, SDO, PWD, “At present, there is no shortage of the labour and we have completed 95% of the main building block.”
Almost ₹45 crore has already been released till date while ₹15 crore is the approximate amount that is yet to be released for the completion of the project.
Kansal said, “It is going to be released in phases and we have just received another instalment from the PRTC.”
The flyover for the bus stand is also incomplete. According to PWD official data, ₹1.52 crore is pending from the Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) for the completion of the flyover.
Piyush Aggarwal, executive engineer (XEN), PWD, said, “We have sorted all the issues. We have sent revised utilisation certificate to the PIDB. We are expecting that the funds will be released soon. The PRTC has already released funds. We will also try that the flow of money is maintained to complete the project by March 31.”
On the delay in funds for the flyover of the new bus stand, Ajay Tanwar, chief engineer of the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC), said, “The PWD didn’t send the proper utilisation certificate. We got the revised certificate after two-three months. We didn’t cause any delay. The PIDB will release the funds accordingly.”
The new bus stand in Patiala is a G+2 (ground and two floors) structure having four lifts and a parking facility for four-wheelers and two-wheelers in the basement. With total 41 bus bays and two food courts, waiting lounge and solar panels installed on the rooftop, the bus stand aims at decongesting the city with a mobility between the old bus stand near the railway station, Patiala, and the new building being constructed near the Urban Estate on the Rajpura Road.
