Modern bus stand in Dharamsala a dream

Lalit Mohan

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Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, August 16

The state government is organising roadshows in India and abroad to attract investors. However, a major project in the city, which needs an investment of Rs 20 crore, has been hanging fire for the past more than two years.

The previous government had signed an MoU with a company to construct three bus stands in Una, Chintpurni and Dharamsala on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis. Though the bus stands at Una and Chintpurni are almost ready, work on the modern bus stand in Dharamsala is yet to take off.

Sources said a portion of the land, earmarked for the project, was forest land. The permission for the conversion of forest land is yet to be obtained from the ministry.

Mukesh Rajan, who had got the contract for constructing the modern bus stand in Dharamsala, said the forest land was yet to be transferred in the name of HRTC Bus Stand Authority. Most of the officials in the state were cooperating with them, but the permission was yet to come from the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests. The new bus stand-cum-commercial complex is to be constructed at a cost of about Rs 20 crore.

The old bus stand is poorly equipped and the new one is expected to provide more space for buses and better facilities to tourists and commuters. The McLeodganj bus stand too has been hanging fire. The HRTC had given permission to a private builder to construct a bus stand and hotel right at the entrance of McLeodganj. However, permission was not taken to use forest land for commercial activities. The Supreme Court has ordered demolition of the half-constructed hotel. The bus stand that was also not fully completed was being run by the builder. When the HRTC refused to pay the parking fee to the builder, he stopped the parking of HRTC vehicles at the McLeodganj bus stand. He also closed the bus stand, leading to chaos at McLeodganj in the peak tourist season. Thereafter, the district administration overtook the parking and opened it for free for the general public. The bus stand is now being managed by a committee of district officials and members of the Hotel Association and Taxi Operators Union.

Part of land falls under forest area 

• The previous government had signed an MoU with a company to construct three bus stands in Una, Chintpurni and Dharamsala on a build-operate-transfer basis. 
• Sources said a portion of the land, earmarked for the project, was forest land. 
• The permission for the conversion of forest land is yet to be obtained from the ministry.
• The old bus stand is poorly equipped and the new one is expected to provide more space for buses and better facilities to tourists and commuters.