New bus stand for Srirangam to come up at Panchakarai

The proposed bus stand for the heritage town of Srirangam will come up at Panchakarai on the banks of the Coleroon river.

The Tiruchi Corporation Council, at an urgent meeting chaired by Mayor A.Jaya on Thursday, approved a proposal to establish the bus stand at Panchakarai, adjacent to the Yatri Nivas that is currently under construction.

The Corporation had already given portion of lands vested with it at the site for the Yatri Nivas and Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board for construction of houses.

The civic body is left with 6.6 acres of land in its old sewage treatment farm, where the bus stand will come up. The civic body has decided to shift the sewage treatment farm, which is in disuse.

Though a major tourist attraction, the Srirangam island, which lies sandwiched between the Cauvery and Coleroon rivers, does not have a proper bus stand. Town and mofussil buses and tourist vehicles have to be parked on the roadsides.

The town with a population of about 1.02 lakhs, attracts a floating population of about 20,000 every day. Nearly 300 tourist vehicles visit the town on an average every day.

The Corporation, in its Budget 2012-13, had announced a decision to establish a bus stand in Srirangam and had earmarked Rs.9 crore. The project finds a mention in the budget

for the next financial year too but no financial allocation has been made. The Corporation has also decided to seek Government grants or loans to fund the project.

An official resolution, approved by the council, said the bus stand will be established at an investment of Rs.20 crore at Panchakarai that is accessible to both Srirangam and Thiruvanaikovil.The proposal would be forwarded to the government through the district administration for approval and administrative sanction.

The design of the bus stand will be sent to the Directorate of Town and Country Planning for approval. A feasibility report, detailed project report and a financial operation plan would be drawn up through private agencies, the resolution said.