Integrated bus terminal at Karikkamuri in Kochi runs into rough weather
Transport Minister Ganesh Kumar told The Hindu that the KSRTC was not immediately keen on constructing a terminal for its buses within the VMH premises. 'This is because substantial investment would be needed to fill the largely slushy site to prevent waterlogging. Moreover, prime land owned by the KSRTC would have to be handed over to the Vyttila Mobility Hub Society [VMHS] in return for land that is of far less value or usability. All this is apart from the uncertainty over securing adequate funds to build the integrated bus terminal,' he said.
He also added that he had recently held discussions with the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) authorities on whether the metro agency could adopt appropriate technologies and erect a bus terminal complex using steel frames on land near the existing bus stand, where a garage was demolished after it developed cracks. The advantage of a steel structure, he said, is that it can be dismantled and relocated or reused. Such a structure could be built for ₹5 crore, following which the bus terminal—excluding the KSRTC office—could be relocated there.
The executive committee meeting of the VMHS had, in March, decided to hand over land at the mobility hub to KSRTC in return for the 1.90-acre plot near KSRTC's Ernakulam bus depot. It was also decided at the time that both agencies would retain ownership of their respective plots but would receive permissive sanction to operate on each other's premises.
As per the plan, a total of 16 KSRTC and private buses could be berthed at a time in the integrated bus terminal that was envisaged at Karikkamuri, for which Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML) was to provide ₹12 crore in funding.
Back in March, then Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan had directed the officials concerned to prepare the proposal for the ₹10-crore second phase of the integrated bus terminal to be submitted to the Centre in June. 'For now, KSRTC's long-distance buses will have to make do with a limited number of bays at the VMH premises, since the integrated bus terminal project has not taken off,' official sources said.
Asserting that the State government had been neglecting the renovation of the existing KSRTC bus stand premises despite its poor condition, Hibi Eden, MP, said he had allotted ₹2 crore during his tenure as the Ernakulam MLA to build a temporary bus stand, meant to facilitate relocation of the existing infrastructure and construction of a new one. 'A structure built by the KSRTC's engineering wing using this fund had to be pulled down after it developed major cracks even before its inauguration. Subsequently, action was taken against a senior official of the agency,' he added.
'I am dismayed that the ₹12 crore allotted by CSML for the integrated bus terminal next to the KSRTC stand is yet to be utilised. This is due, among other reasons, to the complexities involved in the land swap between the KSRTC and VMHS. The State government could instead have directly allotted ₹12 crore to the KSRTC to build a new terminal. All this reflects the neglect being meted out to Kochi,' Mr. Eden added.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Indian firm says it shipped non-military explosives to Russia
NEW DELHI, - An Indian firm that shipped $1.4 million worth of an explosive compound with military uses to Russia in December said on Saturday it complies with Indian rules and the substance it had shipped was for civilian industrial purposes. Indian firm says it shipped non-military explosives to Russia Reuters reported on July 24 that Ideal Detonators Private Limited shipped the compound, known as HMX or octogen, to two Russian explosives manufacturers despite U.S. threats to impose sanctions on any entity supporting Russia's Ukraine war effort. One of the Russian companies listed in Indian customs data as receiving the compound is the explosives manufacturer Promsintez. An official at Ukraine's SBU security service has said the Russian company has ties to the military and that Ukraine launched a drone attack in April against a Promsintez-owned factory. Promsintez did not respond to a request for comment. Ideal Detonators said in an emailed response to Reuters that the material it shipped was not military grade. "The shipment ... is for industrial activity and it's a civil explosive," the company said. The U.S. government has identified HMX as "critical for Russia's war effort" and has warned financial institutions against facilitating any sales of the substance to Moscow. The U.S. Treasury Department has the authority to sanction those who sell HMX and similar substances to Russia, sanctions lawyers have said. HMX is widely used in missile and torpedo warheads, rocket motors, exploding projectiles and plastic-bonded explosives for advanced military systems, according to the Pentagon's Defense Technical Information Center and related defense research programs. The compound also has some limited civilian applications in mining and other industrial activities. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.


India.com
5 hours ago
- India.com
Months after Ratan Tata's death, Tata Group makes big move, acquires 117-year-old company for Rs 24000000000; big worry for Mukesh Ambani due to...
(File) In a major move to further strengthen its grip on the luxury jewelry sector, Titan, the watchmaking and fashion products arm of the Titan Group, has acquired a controlling stake in Dubai-based jewellery brand Damas LLC (UAE). According to the details, Titan Holdings International FZCO has acquired a 67% stake in the 117-year-old brand from Mannai Corporation QPSC. How much Titan paid for the company? As per reports, Tata Group-owned Titan acquired Damas Jewellery for 1,038 million dirhams (about Rs 2,357.25 crore), one of the reasons behind the high-priced deal being the global popularity of the Dubai-based brand. Founded in 1907, Damas Jewellery, is a highly-popular jewelry brand in Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. The brand has 146 stores across the Middle East, and is known for its high-quality gems and jewelry, as well as impeccable craftsmanship. Why Tata Group's deal is a concern for Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance? The Tata Group's landmark deal is expected to bolster its already popular designer jewelry brand Tanishq, which is already launched in several countries outside India, including Middle East and the United States. Titan is looking to build upon the success of Tanishq, and acquire a major share in the global jewellery market, and the Damas acquisition is giant step in that direction. Additionally, the deal could potentially catapult Titan far ahead of its competitors in India, including Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Gold, Malabar Gold and Kalyan Jewelers,


Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Indian firm says it shipped non-military explosives to Russia
NEW DELHI: An Indian firm that shipped $1.4 million worth of an explosive compound with military uses to Russia in December said on Saturday it complies with Indian rules and the substance it had shipped was for civilian industrial purposes . Reuters reported on July 24 that Ideal Detonators Private Limited shipped the compound, known as HMX or octogen, to two Russian explosives manufacturers despite U.S. threats to impose sanctions on any entity supporting Russia's Ukraine war effort. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Science Project Management Digital Marketing Artificial Intelligence Others CXO Leadership Cybersecurity Data Analytics Operations Management PGDM Finance Product Management Public Policy Healthcare Degree healthcare Management Data Science Technology MCA MBA Design Thinking others Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months IIT Madras CERT-IITM Advanced Cert Prog in AI and ML India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months IIM Kozhikode CERT-IIMK DABS India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Prof Cert in DS & BA with GenAI India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 11 Months E&ICT Academy, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati CERT-IITG Postgraduate Cert in AI and ML India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 30 Weeks IIM Kozhikode SEPO - IIMK-AI for Senior Executives India Starts on undefined Get Details One of the Russian companies listed in Indian customs data as receiving the compound is the explosives manufacturer Promsintez . An official at Ukraine's SBU security service has said the Russian company has ties to the military and that Ukraine launched a drone attack in April against a Promsintez-owned factory. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Mountain Gear for Extreme Conditions Trek Kit India Learn More Undo Promsintez did not respond to a request for comment. Ideal Detonators said in an emailed response to Reuters that the material it shipped was not military grade. "The shipment ... is for industrial activity and it's a civil explosive," the company said. Live Events The U.S. government has identified HMX as "critical for Russia's war effort" and has warned financial institutions against facilitating any sales of the substance to Moscow. The U.S. Treasury Department has the authority to sanction those who sell HMX and similar substances to Russia, sanctions lawyers have said. HMX is widely used in missile and torpedo warheads, rocket motors, exploding projectiles and plastic-bonded explosives for advanced military systems, according to the Pentagon's Defense Technical Information Center and related defense research programs. The compound also has some limited civilian applications in mining and other industrial activities.