2 years on, Rs 35-cr Fazilka bus stand turns into parking lot

Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, December 28

On December 7, 2021, the then Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had inaugurated the Fazilka bus stand, constructed on the Municipal Council land, opposite the District Administrative Complex (DAC).

The bus stand, which was constructed at a cost of Rs 5 crore on a prime property worth Rs 30 crore, has turned into a parking lot for defunct vehicles of the MC.

Irked passengers said, “We are forced to go inside the city to board the bus from old bus stand.” Sources said change of guard was another reason behind non-operationalisation of the new bus stand.

The Congress-led Fazilka MC chief Surinder Sachdeva said, “On the one hand, the MC is suffering a loss of around Rs 20 lakh annually over zero collection of entry fee. And on other, the MC pays salary to employees to prevent theft and upkeep of the new bus stand.”

“Let’s not waste time on petty politics as the issue is related to common man. The bus stand should be shifted to the new place immediately,” said Sacheva, adding that the failure to do so would leave them with no other option, but to knock at the door of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The Transport Department has their own arguments in this regard. Officials said if the department shifts the bus stand from their own building to the new one, they would end up paying a large amount of entry fee. Besides, officials said no workshop had been constructed in the new building and there’s no provision to refuel buses.