TURA: Meghalaya Home Minister, James K Sangma on Thursday inaugurated the first ever Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) at Chasingre in West Garo Hills.
The ISBT was completed months ago but had remained non-functional due to various reasons.
Sangma inaugurated the new facility in the presence of Urban Affairs minister Hamletson Dohling, Chairman of the Meghalaya Transport Corporation J M Sangma, Commissioner and Secretary of the Transport Department MR Synrem, GHADC chairman DT Sangma, Executive Member B Hajong, Director of Urban Affairs E Kharmalki, district officials, Nokma and local residents.
Speaking as the chief guest, James K Sangma said that it was the lifelong dream of former MP (L) PA Sangma to set up an ISBT in the state and added that the bus terminus would be beneficial to the people of the region.
In his keynote address, Director of Urban Affairs E Kharmalki said that due to the increasing population and traffic congestion, there is a need to relocate the bus station to this present site.
Therefore, the department of Urban Affairs has acquired around 58 bighas of land from the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department for construction of Inter State Bus Terminus at Chasingre near Tura.
He also mentioned that the project was sanctioned for an amount of Rs 45 crore and the construction of the ISBT was entrusted to NBCC (India) Limited formerly, National Building Construction Corporation Limited.
The terminus has boarding and alighting bays for 16 vehicles, layover bays for 21 vehicles, shunting bays for 26 local buses, 76 sumos or taxis, 32 cars and more than 50 two wheelers.
He mentioned that the project started in December 2012 and was completed in March 2017.
