PUDUCHERRY: The newly-renovated city bus terminus, developed under the Smart City project, was inaugurated on Friday by Lt Governor K. Kailashnathan in the presence of Chief Minister N Rangasamy, Speaker R Selvam and other dignitaries. However, the inauguration has been overshadowed by confusion over the official name of the facility.
While the government plaque unveiled during the event bears the name Smart City Bus Terminus, the arch at the entrance still displays the older name Rajiv Gandhi Bus Terminus. Further complicating matters, official government press releases and promotional material for the event also refer to it as the Smart City Bus Terminus, leaving commuters and the public puzzled about the terminus’s actual name.
BJP General Secretary Mohan Kumar had earlier submitted a memorandum to Home Minister A Namassivayam, urging that the terminus be renamed after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Likewise, BJP MLAs John Kumar and his son Vivilian Richard, along with independent MLA T Sivasankar, took out a procession demanding it be named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, the Chief minister said that soon a foundation stone for another bus terminus will be laid at East Coast Road and named after Atal Behari Vajpayee.
Although no decision has been announced to rename the terminus from its original dedication to Rajiv Gandhi, the absence of his name from the plaque and official materials has drawn attention. With the new terminus now operational, the temporary bus stand at AFT Ground will be closed from May 3, and all route buses will operate from the new location, said Municipal Commissioner M Kandasamy.
The terminus is part of a Rs 229.5 crore project for upgrading the Puducherry Municipal Bus Station into an integrated smart facility. The new facility houses 30 shops, but their allotment remains pending due to an appeal in the High Court against its earlier order for allotment through auction. Until the High Court passes an order on the appeal, a couple of stalls will be operated by the Puducherry Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) to provide food, snacks and packaged water.
