Cong protests shifting of bus stand in Bhopal

Bhopal, Mar 13 (UNI) The opposition Congress members today staged a walkout in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly protesting against the shifting of Indore-bound buses to a new bus stand at Lalghati in the state capital without providing adequate infrastructure.

The issue was raised by Mr Arif Aqueel (Congress) and others through a call attention notice and the walkout staged to express dissatisfaction over the government reply.

Mr Aqueel alleged the shifting was made in haste sans providing adequate facilities.

''The Lalghati bus stand will be developed with the Local Area Development Fund to be pooled in by Bhopal Mayor Sunil Sood, Industry Minister Babulal Gaur and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kailash Joshi,'' said Transport Minister Himmat Kothari.

He said pressure of heavy traffic at Hamidia Road (Nadra) bus stand was the main reason for shifting of Indore-bound buses to Lalghati. The notification in this regard was issued in 1995, he pointed out, adding the arrangements for security and food were in place.

Denying the Nadra bus stand was being shut, the Minister said it was still functional. He also denied the allegations that the shifting was carried out through unilateral cancellation of permits to pressurise transport operators as part of a ''conspiracy'' between senior BJP leaders and the Putta Mill management.

Transport operators, who were protesting the shifting by organising a sit-in, did not enjoy mass support, he claimed. City buses, tempos and autorickshaws -- at reasonable fare -- were plying from Lalghati to different parts of the city, he added.

UNI