ROURKELA: Amid the prevailing fuel supply disruptions, the scheduled October launch of PM e-Bus Sewa scheme with introduction of 100 electric buses at Rourkela is likely to be deferred due to pending infrastructure readiness.
According to official sources, construction of the e-bus depot/terminal on a land parcel of 3.96 acres near Plutone Mall at Chhend Colony here is moving at a snail’s pace with little progress.
In October 2024, the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT), a special purpose vehicle of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) department, had floated tender for the e-bus terminal project on a turnkey design-and-execution basis with bid opening date of December 3, 2024.
After finalisation of tender, work started on May 19, 2025 with completion target of 18 months. However, no further details about the scopes of work of consolidated project cost are available in the public domain.
Sources privy with the project said the proposed terminal would have all facilities for management of the e-bus fleet including charging stations, parking lots, repair and maintenance space, resting rooms for drivers and conductors among other things. A separate six MW transformer with 33 kV lines would also be set up. The combined project cost would be Rs 30-Rs 35 crore including statutory feeds to be paid to the Tata Power.
As of now, the project is moving slowly with a few pillars of a building erected along with levelling of the ground with land filling.
CRUT officials requesting anonymity said the contract agency at the Rourkela site is facing difficulty in sourcing construction materials with the claim that transport vehicles are not able to get adequate diesel. Amid supply chain disruption, no specific date has been fixed for completion of the project but it may take another nine months, they added.
About the PM e-Bus Sewa scheme, the officials said a fleet of 100 electric buses would be deployed and operate along with 100 diesel buses running under the Ama Bus service. CRUT has a policy of only procuring electric buses and accordingly, the existing diesel buses would be phased out with completion of their normal life span.
Commissioner of Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) Deenah Dastageer said she would review the status of the e-bus depot and push for expeditious project completion.
