14 AC buses for LAccMI await route permits
Koraput: At least 14 AC buses procured under the Location Accessible Multi-modal Initiative (LAccMI) scheme have been gathering dust at the OSRTC bus stand in Semiliguda for several months. Official sources said the buses are waiting to receive route permits from the regional transport office.
District manager for LAccMI buses, Iswar Mahapatra, said, “The buses were stopped due to some route-related complications.We are now awaiting approval from state authorities to resume their operations.”
The delay has sparked criticism from locals and activists, who demanded immediate action. “It is unfortunate that over a dozen AC buses are lying idle. The authorities seem to be ignoring the matter. These buses should be serving their intended purpose, especially since they were bought with public money,” said Ajit Patra, organising secretary of the All Odisha Lawyers Association.
LAccMI scheme, launched by former chief minister Naveen Patnaik in Dec 2023, aimed to enhance transportation in the tribal-dominated district by connecting block headquarters with district headquarters towns. While 50 non-AC buses under the scheme are operational across 14 blocks, AC buses that arrived shortly after the scheme’s launch were not put to use. Besides, two other AC buses operating on the Koraput-Kotpad and Koraput-Bandhugaon routes ceased operations in June 2024.
Koraput: At least 14 AC buses procured under the Location Accessible Multi-modal Initiative (LAccMI) scheme have been gathering dust at the OSRTC bus stand in Semiliguda for several months. Official sources said the buses are waiting to receive route permits from the regional transport office.
District manager for LAccMI buses, Iswar Mahapatra, said, “The buses were stopped due to some route-related complications. We are now awaiting approval from state authorities to resume their operations.”
The delay has sparked criticism from locals and activists, who demanded immediate action. “It is unfortunate that over a dozen AC buses are lying idle. The authorities seem to be ignoring the matter. These buses should be serving their intended purpose, especially since they were bought with public money,” said Ajit Patra, organising secretary of the All Odisha Lawyers Association.
LAccMI scheme, launched by former chief minister Naveen Patnaik in Dec 2023, aimed to enhance transportation in the tribal-dominated district by connecting block headquarters with district headquarters towns. While 50 non-AC buses under the scheme are operational across 14 blocks, AC buses that arrived shortly after the scheme’s launch were not put to use. Besides, two other AC buses operating on the Koraput-Kotpad and Koraput-Bandhugaon routes ceased operations in June 2024.
District manager for LAccMI buses, Iswar Mahapatra, said, “The buses were stopped due to some route-related complications.We are now awaiting approval from state authorities to resume their operations.”
The delay has sparked criticism from locals and activists, who demanded immediate action. “It is unfortunate that over a dozen AC buses are lying idle. The authorities seem to be ignoring the matter. These buses should be serving their intended purpose, especially since they were bought with public money,” said Ajit Patra, organising secretary of the All Odisha Lawyers Association.
LAccMI scheme, launched by former chief minister Naveen Patnaik in Dec 2023, aimed to enhance transportation in the tribal-dominated district by connecting block headquarters with district headquarters towns. While 50 non-AC buses under the scheme are operational across 14 blocks, AC buses that arrived shortly after the scheme’s launch were not put to use. Besides, two other AC buses operating on the Koraput-Kotpad and Koraput-Bandhugaon routes ceased operations in June 2024.
Koraput: At least 14 AC buses procured under the Location Accessible Multi-modal Initiative (LAccMI) scheme have been gathering dust at the OSRTC bus stand in Semiliguda for several months. Official sources said the buses are waiting to receive route permits from the regional transport office.
District manager for LAccMI buses, Iswar Mahapatra, said, “The buses were stopped due to some route-related complications. We are now awaiting approval from state authorities to resume their operations.”
The delay has sparked criticism from locals and activists, who demanded immediate action. “It is unfortunate that over a dozen AC buses are lying idle. The authorities seem to be ignoring the matter. These buses should be serving their intended purpose, especially since they were bought with public money,” said Ajit Patra, organising secretary of the All Odisha Lawyers Association.
LAccMI scheme, launched by former chief minister Naveen Patnaik in Dec 2023, aimed to enhance transportation in the tribal-dominated district by connecting block headquarters with district headquarters towns. While 50 non-AC buses under the scheme are operational across 14 blocks, AC buses that arrived shortly after the scheme’s launch were not put to use. Besides, two other AC buses operating on the Koraput-Kotpad and Koraput-Bandhugaon routes ceased operations in June 2024.
