Nakodar bus stand in shambles, plea filed in Lok Adalat

Years ago, a man from Himachal Pradesh died when a large portion of the roof at Nakodar bus stand fell on him. Despite the tragedy, his family was not awarded any compensation. Since then, nothing has changed.

The unsafe structure remains and the bus stand now operates from a makeshift shed that lacks basic facilities for passengers. This dilapidated and neglected bus stand has now become the subject of a petition filed before the Lok Adalat.

Highlighting decades-long neglect of public transport infrastructure in Nakodar, Navraj Singh, a resident of Mohalla Rehmanpura, Nakodar, through his counsel Advocate JP Singh, a Jalandhar-based lawyer, has filed a case before the Permanent Lok Adalat (Public Utility Services), Jalandhar. The petition demands the construction of a new bus stand at Nakodar.

Filed on August 1, 2025, under Section 22C of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, the petition seeks urgent directions to the Municipal Council, Nakodar, PWD (B&R), Punjab State Bus Stand Management Company Limited (PUNBUS), Transport Department and other the authorities concerned to construct a new, modern bus stand at Nakodar and address the hazardous conditions at the current premises.

The petitioner has pointed out that the Nakodar bus stand, which serves thousands of commuters daily, including students, working professionals, women, the elderly and differently abled persons, has remained in a state of severe neglect for over 20–25 years. The building is structurally unsafe, suffers from regular flooding during monsoons and lacks basic amenities like clean drinking water, toilets, proper lighting, seating arrangements and accessibility features.

Even by conservative estimates, at least 2,000 to 2,500 passengers use the Nakodar bus stand daily, with 200 to 250 buses halting at the stop every day. While there is no proper building, the site is still lucrative enough to host a ticketing counter and a cycle stand — proceeds from both of which go to the Nagar Council.

The petition to the Lok Adalat states, “Given the age, condition and importance of the structure, mere repairs are no longer sufficient. A new modern bus stand is urgently needed to ensure public safety, civic dignity, and service efficiency.”

The case has been fixed for hearing on August 8 before the Chairman, Permanent Lok Adalat, Jalandhar.

Petitioner Navraj Singh says, “Nakodar is a busy township, yet for almost 25 years, residents have been denied a decent bus stand. They brave the hot summers and cold winters in the open shed and during the rains and wade through deep waters. There are no proper washrooms and no drinking water. Thousands of residents and passengers are being betrayed daily.”

Nakodar resident Gaurav Jain says, “The bus stand had been subject to a land dispute which the Nagar Council eventually won. A couple of years ago, there was even talk of a map for a new bus stand being passed. But nothing has moved forward. It is surprising how the authorities blatantly ignore over 2,000 people who use the stand to commute daily.”