Thrissur: Despite crores of rupees being made available for the renovation of the KSRTC bus stand, not a single inch of work has progressed since the demolition of the bus stand in Thrissur. Even a year after the old building was torn down as part of the redevelopment, a suitable blueprint for the new bus stand has not yet been finalised. The only minor relief is the removal of technical hurdles for the garage-cum-administration block.

Around ₹2.5 crore have been allocated for the first phase of construction from the MLA's asset development fund, along with an additional ₹7 crore received from the 'Nava Kerala Sadassu' initiative. This amount is ample for the initial phase of constructing a beautiful and convenient bus terminal for both passengers and staff, spanning three and a quarter acres in a prime location of the city.

In its current state, newcomers to the KSRTC stand, especially those arriving from other districts, will find themselves utterly confused. There's widespread uncertainty about where buses will arrive and depart. With the old buildings demolished, operations have been ongoing under temporary arrangements for a year. The office currently operates from the first floor of the Sakthan Stand. There are no facilities even for basic necessities here.

It is also unclear what KSRTC intends to do when the Sabarimala pilgrimage season begins next month. Pilgrims won't even have space to wait for buses, let alone find a place to rest. Depot authorities will struggle to provide even essential facilities to those travelling by paying extra charges.

When the decision was made to demolish the KSRTC bus stand, the new building to be constructed did not have administrative or technical approval. With the elections, the pace of file movement slowed down, and staff became preoccupied with election duties.

Even after four months since the elections and the new government took office, the file movement has not gained the expected momentum. Administrative approval for works worth ₹2.5 crore for the construction of the KSRTC garage and office is being granted under the name 'Phase One'. As part of this, a meeting was held under the leadership of the MLA and the District Collector.