Expedite construction of new bus stand, Mayiladuthurai residents urge administration

Mayiladuthurai residents urge admin to expedite construction of new bus stand. Long-pending demand to decongest town, facilitate passengers. 350 buses operated daily from 2 bus stands. 13.77 acres of land identified at Manakudi. Construction works progressing at 40%, to be completed by Dec.

Residents and activists of Mayiladuthurai town have expressed concern over the slow pace of progress in the construction of the new bus stand at Manakudi village on the Poompuhar - Kallanai Highway and urged the administration to take expeditious steps to complete the works ahead of the upcoming monsoon.

It has been a long-pending demand of the residents of Mayiladuthurai to construct a new bus stand to facilitate the passengers and decongest the town. At present, buses bound towards north and west are operated from the bus stand established in the early 1960s at the heart of the town. The buses towards Karaikal, Tiruvarur, and Nagapattinam are operated from a separate bus stand adjacent to Varadachariyar Park.

The municipal administration took a few years to find a piece of land for constructing a new bus stand, as the present bus stands have only a dozen bus bays. More than 350 buses, both local and mofussil, are being operated from these bus stands every day to various destinations. Because of the increasing footfalls of passengers, the town became overcrowded and witnessed heavy traffic snarls.

A piece of land in Thennaimarasalai and the dry fish market near Sitharkadu were among the few places considered as potential spots for establishing a new bus stand. The administration finally identified 13.77 acres of land owned by Sri Sakthipureeswara Swamy Devasthanam under the administrative control of Dharmapuram Adheenam mutt at Manakudi, a village about two km away from the town.

Last year, the Municipal Council passed a resolution to utilise ₹24 crore funds sanctioned under the Infrastructure and Amenities Fund and the foundation stone was laid in December 2022. Activist A. Apparsundaram pointed out the slow pace of progress in the construction work. He said the works gathered momentum during the initial days and had slowed down in recent times.

“Construction of a new bus stand is not only crucial for the expansion and development of the town, but it would also pave the way for decongesting the market areas around the Clock Tower, which continues to witness heavy traffic snarls even during off-peak hours,” he said.

Official sources say the construction works are under way in an area about 8,361 square metres. Facilities in the bus stand include 28 bus bays, 49 shops, bus booking counters, and TNSTC office, an ATM room, a cloak room, two public toilets, a restaurant, two waiting halls, and a feeding room for women. The works are at the foundation level and progressed by around 40%. The works would be expedited and completed well within the 12-month deadline ends in December.