Government Bus Stand Inaugurated in Kakatpur, Local Private Bus Owners’ Association Overlooked
Kakatpur, 23/8 – On Wednesday afternoon, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated 21 modern bus stands across 13 districts via video conference. Among them, the newly constructed government bus stand in Kakatpur, Puri district, was also inaugurated. The local inauguration event was attended by State Minister for Sports, Youth Services, Electronics and IT, and Home Affairs, and local MLA Tusharkanti Behera; Jagatsinghpur MP Rajashree Mallick; Additional District Collector (Revenue) Kailash Chandra Nayak; Puri Transport Officer Ravin Pattnaik; Vice-President of Puri Zilla Parishad Swadhin Kumar Nayak; Kakatpur Tehsildar Biranchi Narayan Behera; and Kakatpur BDO Tushar Jyotiranjan, among others.
However, the event saw the supporters of former MLA Surendra Sethi and Minister Tusharkanti Behera attending separately, indicating a political divide. Notably, the Kakatpur and Puri District Private Bus Owners’ Associations were not informed or included in the inauguration ceremony. As a result, members of the association expressed their dissatisfaction. They alleged that the government was conspiring to gradually shut down private bus services in the state.
The new bus stand, constructed at a cost of over ₹5 crore by the Department of Rural Development, includes facilities such as air-conditioned passenger rest areas, clean drinking water, a drivers’ lounge, mobile charging units, a bus service center, terminal, café, and more. The bus stand has been handed over to the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) by the Rural Development Department.
However, the construction of this bus stand has sparked controversy. There have been allegations that the government unlawfully acquired more than half of the land belonging to Hatiakhada Math (monastery) for the construction. A retired military personnel raised objections regarding the alleged illegal occupation.
