SHILLONG, July 22: Union Home Minister, Amit Shah will inaugurate the Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) project at Mawlai Mawiong on Saturday although it is yet to be completed.
The Power Works Department (PWD) is implementing the project on behalf of the Transport department after a delay of years.
A visit to the site on Thursday revealed the workers were giving final touches with tile works and other works like painting in progress. Some workers were seen cleaning the site in view of Shah’s visit. The project will have a ramp for persons with disabilities. Two hundred buses can be parked at the terminus at a time. In addition, the terminus will have shops, waiting areas and other facilities.
An official of the PWD said the project is almost completed. “The project is 97% complete.
Once it is fully completed, we will hand it over to the Transport department,” the official said.
Transport Minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar said the project will be completed shortly after its inauguration.
However, there are still issues pertaining to land. The road leading up to the terminus is narrow and it will be a challenge for the multi-axle buses to maneuver.
For the approach road, the PWD needed around 45 metres of land but only 10-12 metres are available. It was learnt the Transport department is trying to acquire land for that stretch.
The project was delayed as the construction work had slowed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rs 48-crore project is a joint venture of North Eastern Council and Transport department.
Sanctioned in 2013 and being built on a plot measuring 53,041.74 square metres, the project is aimed at decongesting parking lots in Shillong.
The work commenced on September 4, 2014 and the completion deadline was September 2017. The state’s first ISBT at Chasingre in West Garo Hills was inaugurated in February last year.
