Kerala: Demolition of dilapidated building in Palakkad to begin on September 16

PALAKKAD: Chairperson of Palakkad municipality Pramila Sasidharan has said that a bus terminal would be constructed at the Municipal bus stand after demolishing the dilapidated old building. “The demolition will start from September 16 and is expected to be completed within three months,” said Sasidharan.

The chairperson said that the new terminal would accommodate buses operating from here to Kozhikode, Mannarkkad and Padur.

She said that those buses that had operated from Municipal bus stand before its closure on August 2 last year should operate from here as per their license.

“They could operate on a temporary basis from the Stadium bus stand as the Municipal stand would be closed for work. Now, the bus operators wanted to operate these buses from both these stands. This could not be allowed. This has created traffic jam in the town and congestion in the Municipal stand,” said the chairperson.

Assistant executive engineer of the municipality N Swamidasan has said that three quotations were received from builders to construct a three-storey new building in place of the old building in the Municipal bus stand, which will be demolished spending Rs 5 crore.

“But the municipal council has not taken any decision on the matter. So, no detailed project report (DPR) was prepared,” he said.

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Though bus services were resumed from the Municipal bus stand last month, most of the buses refused to operate from here as the operators find it profitable to operate from the Stadium bus stand, which got congested after these buses were also allowed to operate from there, said Swamidasan.

“The operation of buses has resumed from the Municipal bus stand after a high court order. But against the violation of the court order, no action has been taken against the bus operators by the district administration, motor vehicles department and police despite repeated request by the municipality,” the chairperson said.

They still flout the high court order and the decision taken by the transport advisory committee and the municipal council, she alleged.