CUTTACK: The much-hyped Cuttack Netaji Bus Terminal (CNBT) at Khannagar here has missed its deadline, thanks to the slow pace of work. The construction work on the `65 crore project which was conceptualised as a part of millennium city’s decongestion plan to resolve the increasing traffic problem, was slated to be completed this month.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for the state-of-the-art CNBT during the celebration of 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on January 23, 2021. While the construction work of the ultra-modern bus terminal on 12 acre of land for accommodation of 180 buses at a single time was scheduled to be completed within one-and-half year.
With less than 50 per cent of the total project work believed to be completed so far, the deadline has been extended for another six months, which has increased the project cost to `84 crore, an addition of `19 crore to the initial budget. While the construction of boundary wall has been completed, construction of the second floor of the three-storey bus terminal building is currently going on.
Project implementation committee (PIC) Chairman Anil Samal attributed it to the delay in foundation design. “Initially, the project was delayed as there were some changes in its foundation design. Now there are no bottlenecks from the administration side and the work is in full swing,” Samal said.
“While it took one-and-half year towards completion of less than 50 per cent of the entire CNBT project work, how it will be possible on the part of construction companies to complete the rest 60 per cent of the work in coming six months which also includes the monsoon,” citizens questioned.