Orissa High Court rejects PILs against bus terminal
Chayani stated that the decision of the government to construct the bus terminal in the proposed site arises out of its proximity to the existing bus terminal at Badambadi.
Published: 16th February 2021 09:02 AM | Last Updated: 16th February 2021 09:03 AM | A+A A-
Orissa High Court (Photo | EPS)
CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Monday rejected two PILs challenging the construction of the proposed Netaji Bus terminal at Khannagar, foundation stone for which was laid by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on January 23.
Satyanarayan Mohanty and Brundaban Das Ajad, both residents of Cuttack city, had filed the two petitions seeking direction for cancellation of the proposal to construct the bus terminal at Khannagar which is a residential use zone.
However, the two-judge bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray dismissed the petitions after the State government in an affidavit claimed that the proposed site is not a residential use zone.
It further claimed that a majority of the proposed area for construction of the terminal is earmarked for public and semi-public use zone’, along with a small portion earmarked as recreational use zone.
In the affidavit, Cuttack Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani said the Comprehensive Development Plan of Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) does not prohibit the construction of a bus terminal in public and semi-public use zones or recreational use zone.
“Further, the State has duly obtained relevant in-principal permission for the project from the Development Plan and Building Permission Committee of the CDA and shall proceed in due compliance of law for its execution”, he said.
Chayani said the decision of the State to construct the terminal is based on previous experience of the government in other cities like Puri and Berhampur where it was seen that bus terminals on the outskirts of the cities failed to get commuters or check unauthorised parking of buses inside the cities.
“Hence, it is envisaged that the site at Gopalpur earlier proposed for the terminal which is away from Cuttack city, will be reserved for other development works in the future”, he said.
Chayani also stated that the decision of the government to construct the bus terminal in the proposed site arises out of its proximity to the existing bus terminal at Badambadi.
“Such proximity shall curtail long travel distance for commuters, reduce travel and decongest traffic in the peripheral area”, the Cuttack Collector said.
