DHARMAPURI: Residents of Karimangalam urged the Dharmapuri district administration to take steps to renovate and use the Thippampatti bus stand which has not been used since its construction in 2017.
The Thippampatti bus stand was constructed along the Dharmapuri-Chennai road connecting Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Harur and other areas. It was constructed in 2017 for Rs 1.18 crore with over 27 shops to boost profits for the Bannikulam Panchayat. However, since its inauguration, neither the shops nor the bus stand was used and they are in a dilapidated condition.
Speaking to TNIE, R Murugan, from Kambainallur said, “The Thippampatti bus stand has been shut for over six years now. We vividly remember that following its inauguration, the bus stand was open for just a day and after that, we did not see a single bus entering the stand and the shops were also taken up by the people. Over Rs 1.18 crore was invested in the construction of the bus stand and it was not even used. We believe that the funds used for the construction of the bus stand have been wasted. We do not believe that anyone will take up any of the shops there.”
R Sumathi, a shopkeeper in the area, said, “One of the main reasons why this bus stand is a failure is because buses do not enter. Instead, they stop on the roads, boards passengers and leaves. Usually for people to hold businesses there must be some minimum footfall in the area. Here commuters do not enter the bus stand. Hence, no one is willing to hold business here. Only a few shops in the unused bus stand are currently in operation.”
P Mariappan, from Bannikulam, said, “The restroom, benches and the platforms of the bus stand are damaged due to neglect. Now the bus stand is used only for weekly markets. Poor planning is one of the major reasons why this bus stand is unused. We hope that officials will make efforts to reopen the bus stand.” When TNIE attempted to contact officials in the Morappur Block Development Office they were not reachable. Officials from the revenue department who commented on the matter said, “At present, some works are being undertaken here to improve the infrastructure of the bus stand. As far as the shops are concerned, people have not taken tenders.”