CUTTACK: The alleged lack of enforcement at the newly-constructed Cuttack Netaji Bus Terminal (CNBT) has turned its waiting room into a dining hall with nearby restaurants and hotels serving meals to passengers here.
Inaugurated in September 16, 2023, the bus terminal is being managed by the Cuttack Development Authority (CDA). The waiting room at the state-of-the-art bus terminal has the capacity to accommodate at least 50 to 60 passengers. It also has facilities like a washroom, ceiling fan, drinking water and television for the passengers.
A police outpost is located near the bus terminal and the CDA has also mobilised private security guards to check illegal and unauthorised activities besides for maintenance of law and order at the facility.
However, nearby hotels and restaurants, taking advantage of the lack of proper enforcement, have been serving meals to passengers inside the waiting room by placing stools in front of them. While this has been going on for some time now, the leftover food is not cleaned and the stools not removed for a long time creating inconvenience for other passengers.
“We often find bones of mutton, chicken and fish lying scattered on the floor of the waiting room which makes it a breeding ground for flies. This apart, the stench emanating from the leftover food compel other passengers to wait at the bus bays instead of the waiting room,” said a passenger.
A hotel staff, requesting anonymity, said the lack of space at their hotel is forcing them to serve food to passengers at the bus terminal’s waiting room. “However, we clean the area once they finish eating,” he said.
While efforts to elicit response from CDA vice-chairman Anam Charan Patra proved futile, an officer of CDA’s enforcement wing said steps would be taken to check such activities.