TIRUNELVELI
The Tirunelveli Junction bus stand, which has been reconstructed under the ‘Smart City’ project, is likely to be inaugurated before February-end.
As the reconstruction of Tirunelveli Junction bus-stand was taken-up under the ‘Smart City’ programme, a case was filed in the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court seeking CB-CID inquiry into the alleged illegal sale of river sand excavated from the site as it was dug for laying foundation for the basement parking space. After the court allowed the prayer, the CB-CID that obtained expert opinion from the geologists on the quality of sand lifted from the site, is inquiring the case.
Since a portion of the soil removed from the pit has been heaped on the western side of the bus terminus, inauguration of the bus stand is getting delayed even though more than 80% of the construction is over. When the Corporation appealed to the High Court seeking permission for the removal of the soil from the bus-stand to facilitate the inauguration, the Court directed Advocate Commissioner Velusamy to inspect the spot.
When Mr. Velusamy inspected on Friday a few hundred units of soil heaped there, he asked Corporation Commissioner V. Sivakrishnamurthy to shift it to the Corporation garbage yard at Ramaiyanpatti. Subsequently, the exercise is expected to start on Monday (November 28).
“We’ll work round-the-clock to remove the soil at the earliest so as to ensure the early opening of the bus-stand after clearing all legal hurdles,” Mr. Sivakrishnamurthy said.
