Endless wait for ISBT in Jaipur

[karira]

As reported by Yashvardhan Singh Shekhawat in india.merinews.com on 18 August 2008:
Endless wait for ISBT in Jaipur

Endless wait for ISBT in Jaipur

The wait for Jaipur's first ISBT 'Disawar' seems endless, with the government not taking any concrete steps to speed up the project. Rajasthan's CM had laid the foundation of this much publicised project two years back..

JAIPUR IS still waiting for its new state-of-the-art Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) ‘Disawar’. The foundation of this much publicised project was laid by chief minister Vasundhara Raje on December 09, 2006. But even after more than two years of inauguration, the matter is still hanging in the red taped files.

State minister of Urban Development and Housing (UDH) has written a letter to the Central minister of state, Housing and Poverty Alleviation to take up the matter with Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) for early commencement of the ‘Disawar’ project. "If HUDCO declines the proposal then Rajasthan Housing Board (RHB) will invite the Expression of Interest (EOI) from private developers," UDH minister Surendra Goyal said.

The Rajasthan Housing Board (RHB) had increased FAR to 3.0 to attract HUDCO to take up the project, but HUDCO has not responded yet. The HUDCO officials based at Jaipur has declined to comment on the issue. The document available with DNA clearly suggests that RHB has never made a detailed plan for the ‘Disawar’. The circle second of RHB, which deal in Mansarovar area had said in a written answer under Right to Information (RTI) that the circle office never had any document related to the project plan, its map or the document related to land conversion for the said land.

But the officials in RHB are not concerned about ‘Disawar’. "Every project is dealt with the approval of chief minister herself. The delay in this project may not be a hidden thing to her knowledge," RHB commissioner Tapendra Kumar said.

The ISBT with the world class facility was expected to come up at the commercial zone first in Mansarovar on a 50000 sq metre land. RHB had demanded 250 crores for the land and about 125 crore rupees for the construction of the bus terminus from HUDCO. The RHB and HUDCO had planned to share the revenue generated by the auction of the commercial properties in the terminal.

But the resident of Mansarovar has now lost the hope for ‘Disawar’. "The property prices soared after the inauguration of the Disawar project. But now the residents of Mansarovar have lost the hope for the ISBT here. The fate of land is still not decided," former chairperson of Mansarovar Samyukta Vyapar Mahasangh, Harvansh Jagga, said.

In box: History rewinding fast in Jaipur

History is repeating itself at the rate of government change in sham land dealings of government properties in Jaipur. The ISBT was originally planned at Kashipur scheme near Sanganer airport.
Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) had sold this land to roadways for three crore rupees for this purpose. But later JDA revoked the allotment to roadways and gave that land to Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO).

Then JDA had asked to earmark 45 bighas of land at Mansarovar for ‘Disawar’. The part of land was already in legal tangles with the Vyapar Vikas Sangh. The grand bus stand plan is still hanging in the RHB files.

Now the government is talking about developing the Interstate Bus Terminus at Shivdaspura. And history is going to repeat itself a third time in two decade in the fast moving Jaipur city.