CHENNAI: Transport Minister SS Sivasankar and HR and CE Minister PK Sekarbabu on Tuesday said that when a mega project like Kilambakkam bus terminus comes into operation, naturally there will be teething troubles and these will be resolved in due course. Both ministers highlighted special features of the Kilambakkam terminus and said works on Kilambakkam railway station and extending the metro rail project to the terminus have started.
Raising the issue during the question hour, former AIADMK minister Sellur K Raju said people at large, particularly those from the southern districts, who are coming to Chennai have been facing a lot of hardships after reaching the new bus terminus at Kilambakkam. The CM should intervene in this issue to allay the sufferings of people and the transport minister should make arrangements for bringing the people from Kilambakkam to Koyambedu until other arrangements are made.
Responding, Transport Minister S Sivasankar said, “The Kilambakkam bus terminus project was initiated by the AIADMK government. When the bus terminus from Parrys Corner was shifted to Koyambedu, problems cropped up initially. Those who use buses to travel did not raise any issue about Kilambakkam. Of the total number of buses operated from Koyambedu, 20% are from Madhavaram terminus considering the requirements of the people of north Chennai. The rest is being operated from Kilambakkam. We are ready to take Sellur Raju and others to the Kilambakkam terminus. People are travelling without any hurdles.”
HR and CE Minister PK Sekarbabu recalled how the Kilambakkam project was initiated during the AIADMK regime. The Koyambedu terminus started functioning in 2002 and omni bus operation started from Koyambedu only in 2009. The minister also gave statistics about the number of buses being operated from Kilambakkam and the number of passengers travelling from there during the past 45 days. All basic amenities have been provided to the bus crew as well as the people. The works on Kilambakkam railway station have started. Besides, works on extending the metro rail to Kilambakkam are on.
The minister also said when such a major project takes off, it is quite natural that there would be some teething troubles and in due course, all these problems could be resolved. “Just because the terminus has been named after former CM M Karunanidhi, rumours are being spread about the Kilambakkam terminus,” he added.
Responding to the remarks of HR and CE Minister, Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami said, “The AIADMK raised this issue based on the sufferings of the people. We only said the government could have started operating buses from Kilambakkam after resolving the minor shortcomings so that the people would not suffer.”
Intervening, Chief Minister MK Stalin said, “Not just minor shortcomings, there were big issues for this terminus. Overcoming all that, the government has opened the terminus. The government is ready to resolve any more issues if pointed out. As such, it is better to wind up the discussion on this.”