The demolition of Periyar bus Stand, one of the city’s landmarks, and the adjacent shopping complex, was set to begin on Monday, this week. However, the plan has been deferred, say Madurai Corporation sources.
A senior officer in the local body said that the process of demolition and use of five alternative arrangements would be on hold till Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.
The PM is scheduled to visit Madurai on January 27 to lay the foundation stone for the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Thoppur.
In order to begin work on the Smart City project to construct an integrated smart bus stand, the Commissioner announced that the Periyar bus stand would remain closed for 18 months. Instead, buses would be routed through Tirupparankundram Main road near KPS Hotel, Mahaboobpalayam, western entrance of Madurai Railway Junction, Ellis Nagar depot and Palanganatham’s Nataraj theatre.
“However, this may cause congestion and unnecessary delays during the visit of the PM. It will not aid smooth flow of traffic,” said a corporation engineer. Rigid security measures too will be put in place to ensure that there is smooth flow of vehicles.
“When we asked for one extra week to clear our shops, we were denied permission. But now they are delaying the process in view of the PM’s visit, ” said A. Sadayandi, who owned a juice shop at the bus stand.
