SHILLONG: The State Government has sent a detailed project report (DPR) to the DoNER Ministry for sanction of funds for setting up of Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) and Inter-State Truck Terminus (ISTT) in the State.
Talking to a group of journalists here on Monday, the Transport Minister AT Mondal said, “The DPR was cleared by the NEC and it has been sent to the DoNER Ministry for sanction.”
The ISBT, land for which has been identified near Mawiong, is expected to help ease the traffic congestion not only in the city but also in other major towns of the State.
The land for the ISTT has been identified at Mawlein Mawkhan village along NH-40.
The estimated cost of the ISBT is Rs 46 crore while that of the ISTT is Rs 26 crore.
According to the survey, the ISBT would accommodate up to 150 buses with a scope of future expansion while ISTT would have space for 200 trucks.
In neighbouring Assam, the traffic congestion in the capital Guwahati was eased to a great extent when the main bus station was shifted from the heart of the city to the ISBT on its outskirts a few years ago.
Meanwhile, no deadline has been set for the commissioning of the ISBT and ISTT projects since, according to the Government, the funds are yet to be sanctioned.
Landowners have already agreed to part with the land for the ISBT project, Mondal said adding, “We will try to ensure that land acquisition for the project does not become a big problem.”
Land acquisition for government projects often meets with resistance in Meghalaya and glaring example of this are the Shillong Bypass and Umroi Airport which have been delayed for years due to hurdles in acquiring land.