MiC stonewalls ICTSL bus stops

GREED TRIUMPHED over public interest today with the Mayor-in-Council (MiC) voting to deny permission to Indore City Transport Services Limited (ICTSL) to construct 150 bus stops on its land.

Succumbing to pressure from a senior corporator, the ten-member council ruled that the Corporation build the shelters itself rather than have the transport company carry out the task.

The council also vetoed the proposal to house kiosks in the 24 by 18 feet bus stops and, instead, suggested the installation of coin-operated telephones. The 150 stops will be in addition to 100 already proposed by the civic body - a project in which the lobbying MiC member is accused of taking kickbacks.

At a meeting headed by Mayor Dr Uma Shashi Sharma this afternoon, the MiC overruled fears raised by City Bus in-charge SDM Chandramauli Shukla, a special invitee to the council session, regarding delays if the construction was carried out by the IMC.

“ICTSL decision to unilaterally invite tenders for bus stop construction is an insult to elected representatives. It is our land and we will build the bus stops,’’ declared MiC member in-charge of Public Works Lalit Porwal.

The mayoral council also gave the go-ahead to a proposal to procure an Rs 50 crore loan from HUDCO for the second phase of the Bond Road scheme. It also okayed a decision to appoint consultants to prepare detailed project reports for proposals mooted in the Rs 2,750 crore City Development Plan (CDP) submitted for Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) funding.

“Separate tenders will be invited for each of the projects depending on the nature of the work,” said the Mayor. Also cleared were proposals for inviting tenders for the Rs 23.75 crore Yeshwant Sagar capacity enhancement project and appointment of 350 temporary employees until June 30 for carrying out pre-monsoon drain cleaning.

Two separate tenders are to be invited for the Yeshwant Sagar project - one amounting to Rs 443 lakh for design, drawing, fabrication and commissioning, and the other worth Rs 1684 lakh for civil construction works.

The mayoral council also voted to cancel tenders for the construction of Roopram Nagar Bridge. Fresh tenders will now be invited for the project.

Attack & defence
Mayor Dr Uma Shashi Sharma : As the 150 bus stops are to come up on Corporation land it is only fair that the IMC build them. The bus stops we build will be of the same design proposed by the ICTSL, minus the kiosks.

Municipal Commissioner Vinod Sharma: We have neither refused nor granted ICTSL permission for the bus stops. A final decision on the matter will be taken in a day or two.

City Bus in-charge SDM Chandra-mauli Shukla: The IMC hasn’t even managed to build 100 simple bus shelters in over six months. It will take them much longer to construct shelters equipped with LED display passenger information systems, GPS etc and commuters will suffer as a result.