NAMAKKAL: Hopes are high for Namakkal residents as their decade-old demand for a new bus stand may become a reality. The State government recently issued a GO for building bus stands in 13 places, including Namakkal.
The government last month announced that new bus stands would be constructed in 13 districts, at a total cost of Rs 424 crore, with funds contributed by Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Development Corporation and the respective local bodies.
The demand for a new bus stand in Namakkal was first raised in 2010. The existing 3.5-acre bus stand caters to around 65,000 passengers a day who travel towards Salem, Karur, Tiruchy, Bengaluru, Madurai, Chennai. It can accommodate 50 buses.
Heeding to request from traders, politicians and general public, the Namakkal Municipality passed a resolution in 2014 to build a new bus stand, identified a 12.90-acre land in Mudalaipatti. The then AIADMK regime had allocated Rs 35 crore for this. But there were no further development.
Former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, during the MGR centenary celebrations in the district in 2018, announced a new bus stand will be built. Following this, the Municipal administration proposed to build the stand for Rs 51.63 crore through a public-private partnership on the design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis, wherein, private parties would fully fund for infrastructure and maintain the stand for 15 to 20 years, contractually. But the DMK opposed this method claiming this will not generate revenue for the Municipality.
With the change in government, the project has been revived. Details of the schedule for the works is yet to be released. Namakkal Municipality Commissioner KM Sudha was unavailable for comments.