Bus stand at Ajnala without sheds even after a year

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 19

Though it has been more than a year since a bus terminal was constructed at Ajnala, the authorities are yet to build a shed for the convenience of the passengers in sweltering hot-weather conditions. The bus terminal provides bus service to key destinations like Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Amritsar.

Apart from three district headquarters, buses to various other towns such as Ramdas, Bhindian, Chogawan and Fatehgarh Churian also ply from this station.

Residents have been demanding that sheds must be constructed to protect people from heat and rain. Christian Front Leader Sonu Jakhar said, “Sheds should have been constructed before the bus stand was inaugurated. Absence of sheds has been posing a problem to hundreds of passengers coming to this bus stand daily.” He said they have demanded from the government to get the sheds constructed a number of times.

Even as most of the private bus owners' buses do not enter the bus stand to save the ‘adda fee’, the passengers are a harried lot as they cannot wait in the corridors of the bus stand. The residents also demanded that no bus should be allowed to pick up or drop passengers from outside the bus stand.

President of the Municipal Committee, Ajnala, Jorawar Singh said, “The financial condition of the Municipal Committee is not very promising. Even we do not generate much funds from the fee charged from private buses as most of the owners prefer not to enter the bus stand.” He said they have made arrangements for benches for the passengers and getting the sheds constructed is next on the MC’s agenda.