File photo of the iconic Margao Old Bus Stand.
MARGAO
Is the iconic Margao Old Bus Stand being planned to be shut down under the guise of addressing the traffic issues plaguing the city to make way for a project at the Margao Municipal Council-owned property?
This question came to the fore moments after the High level committee meeting chaired by Additional district Magistrate Srinet Kotwale and attended by Margao MLA Digambar Kamat decided to de-notify the old bus stand to decongest the city.
Even an official, who attended the meeting, suspected a sinister design after the meeting suggested the de-notification of the old bus stand when it is catering to the commuters from the outskirts of Salcete and Shiroda in Ponda taluka. “When the meeting was called to discuss the traffic management, it was surprising that the de-notification of the old bus stand was pushed by vested interests. In fact, even the Transport Secretary was called up midway through the meeting to expedite the process to shut down the old bus stand”, the official told The Goan on condition of anonymity.
Another official declined to comment on the move to de-notify the old bus stand, but questioned whether the old bus stand was contributing to the traffic mess or the unregulated gaddas patronized by the politicians over the years.
In fact, question remained unanswered how come the closure of the Old Bus Stand took the centre stage when the meeting was called to fix minor issues to ease traffic congestion. “Instead of mooting the proposal for de-notification of the old bus stand, the politicians and the authorities ought to have got the gaddas shifted, but they turned a blind eye for obvious reasons”, commented another official.
Given that the high level meeting has mulled de-notification of the old bus stand, questions are asked whether the authorities had deliberately delayed refurbishing of the bus shelter at the Old Bus Stand when it has been craving attention for around half-a-decade now.
The iconic Old Bus Stand plays host to buses plying on the Margao-Betalbatim-Gonsua route, besides Margao Raia-Rachol –Loutolim route and Shiroda.
Incidentally, sources told The Goan that a similar attempt to de-notify the Old Bus Stand was made in 2009 during the Congress government headed by Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, but the move was shelved after protests from the Salcete villages serviced by the mini-buses operating from the bus stand.
