Multi-Storey Plan Stuck, Bus-Stop Makes Do With Bad Roads

July 4, 2011

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It was to be Khadki’s showpiece: a modern bus-stand which would also be a shopping area. A proposal to construct a multi-storey complex with the bus-stop running from the ground floor has been hanging fire for years due to official apathy.

Even as cantonment board moved the proposal to the Defence Ministry seeking that it will construct the bus-stand in private-public partnership, the Ministry is reluctant to give the green signal on the plea that it will amount to creation of third party interest as a private party will earn money on a project on cantonment land. What is making things worse is withdrawal of the no-objection certificate (NOC) to KCB issued by PMPL allowing it to construct the complex. As per the original proposal, the ground floor was to be reserved for the stand and the remaining space was to be used for parking, office-space and a shopping complex.

“First, the PMPML gave us NOC. Later, it withdrew it stating they will give its decision later,” said KCB vice-president Manish Anand. He added that the project, which was to come up for around Rs 6 crore, was to be maintained by the private agency for at least 20 years. “If we construct it on our own we won’t be able to maintain it properly. That is why we sought to construct it in build operate and transfer (BOT) mode.”

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