CHENAI: Five years after an exclusive bus terminus for south-bound buses was proposed and attempts to acquire the land failed, officials are now eyeing the huge tracts of land owned by the Arulmigu Nandeeswarar temple in Nandivaram near Guduvanchery and the adjoining poromboke land for a bus terminus.
The project, to decongest the Koyambedu bus terminus, was delayed because of difficulties in land acquisition at Velachery and Vandalur. Nandivaram is the fifth alternative for the bus terminus.
The officials are even considering making the bus terminus a multistorey structure because of land constraints.
About 20.54 hectares are available near the temple. Sources in the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department confirmed that Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority was considering the land for the terminus project. "It is still too early," said the sources.
Back in 2011, the State Government announced that bus terminii would be built at Velachery and Madhavaram for south-bound and north-bound buses to decongest the Koyambedu terminus. The terminus for south-bound buses was later shifted to Vandalur as the proposed site at Velachery was inadequate and later acquired for other projects.
However, the trouble for the project continued as the State Government, which identified more than 65 acres of wetland for the satellite bus terminus in Vandalur, dropped the idea as notices were not issued before the New Land Acquisition Act took effect. Later 88.52 acres in Vandalur was identified but it also ended in a legal tangle and the Supreme Court adjudicated in favour of the land owners.
The officials then considered the land being used as a parking lot at Vandalur zoo.
While the decision on the zoo's land remains unclear, it is now learnt that the CMDA is considering the land at Nandivaram.
The officials said there could be many hurdles there too, as vast portions had been already encroached and removing the encroachers would not be easy.
Factfile: Timeline
September 2011: TN government announces two satellite bus terminii in Velachery and Madhavaram.
October 2011: Government Order passed to build bus terminal in Velachery (12 acres) and Madhavaram (8 acres) at a cost of Rs 32 crore and Rs 48 crore.
July 2013: TN government announces decision to build inter-city bus terminus at Vandalur on 65.3 acres at a cost of Rs 376 crore.
Feb 2014: GO issued to acquire the land but later withdrawn as new Land Acquisition Act came into force from January 1, 2014.
June 2014: CMDA seeks 88.52 acres for the bus terminus.
July 2014: VGP files writ petition in court. The case is pending. TN yet to appoint a counsel. Authority meeting discusses it but fails to take any action till 2015. The case goes in favour of VGP.
September 2015: CMDA examines alternate land for building the inter-city bus terminus, including Anna Zoological Park's parking space and surplus land identified under Tamil Nadu Land Reforms Act at Kilambakkam Village.