CUTTACK: The state government’s plans for setting up the Netaji Bus Terminal at Khannagar has received a jolt with the Orissa High Court on Tuesday ordering status quo on the Smasan Kali temple land that has been included in the project.
Ranjan Kumar Sahoo and other residents of Khannagar locality had filed the petition challenging the inclusion of the temple land in the project. Arguing the case for the petitioners, lawyer Akshaya Kumar Pandey sought intervention against demolition drive for the bus terminal without demarcating the three acres that belongs to the Smasana Kali temple.
Taking note of it, the bench of Justice Sanju Panda and Justice SK Panigrahi directed for maintaining status quo on the land reportedly belonging to Smasana Kali temple till February 23, the date fixed for next hearing on the matter.
The bus terminal is proposed to be developed on around 12 acre at Khannagar at a cost of ` 65 crore. The terminal will have a parking area for 180 buses with clearly earmarked areas for Mo-Buses and regular buses and idle parking along with visitors’ parking area, para-transit (auto rickshaw) parking, service areas, pick-up and drop off zones.
The bus terminal project includes a three-floor bus terminal building of about 1,18,000 sq ft with ticketing and information kiosks, vending kiosks, waiting area for passengers, food court, cloak room and ancillary facilities like rest rooms and toilets for drivers and staff. Around 2 acre of land will be kept reserved for future development of a commercial complex through public private partnership mode.
The Principal Secretaries of Law department, Housing and Urban Development department,Commissioner of Endowment and Commissioner Cuttack Municipal Corporation have been named as respondents in the case.