Ranchi, Sep 24: The Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries on Thursday urged the state government to operationalise the Transport Nagar at Sukurhutu and begin the process of allotting premises to transporters, nearly three years after its inauguration.
A Chamber delegation led by president Tulsi Patel met Transport Secretary Rajiv Ranjan and raised concerns over the prolonged delay in starting operations at the facility.
“Transport Nagar was constructed with the objective of making the city free from traffic congestion and streamlining the transport system,” Patel said, urging the department to hand over the facility to transporters in its existing condition and initiate the allotment and operational process at the earliest.
The Chamber suggested a joint meeting involving the Jharkhand Chamber, Ranchi Goods Transport Association and concerned departments to establish a transparent and practical system for allotment, rent and lease arrangements.
Secretary-General Rohit Agrawal said transporters should be allowed to make necessary practical modifications to the existing structures, subject to prescribed rules, to meet requirements related to heavy vehicle movement, loading and unloading, parking and warehousing.
Joint secretaries Amit Sharma and Pooja Dhadha urged the department to involve transporters in the planning and construction of the second phase of the project. They suggested that their practical inputs be obtained before the construction plan is finalised.
Ranjan assured the delegation of appropriate action and said a joint inspection of the Transport Nagar site would soon be conducted in coordination with the Urban Development Department. Facilities would subsequently be reviewed from the transporters’ perspective and steps taken towards initiating the allotment process.
The Chamber also raised the issue of difficulties faced by bus operators in obtaining permits for interstate buses due to the absence of non-government members in the State Transport Authority for the past year.
Ranjan informed the delegation that the department had already made the necessary recommendation for issuance of the relevant notification concerning the State Transport Authority.
The delegation included Chamber president Tulsi Patel, secretary-general Rohit Agrawal, joint secretaries Amit Sharma and Pooja Dhadha, Ranchi Goods Transport Association president Prabhakar Singh, Sunil Singh Chauhan and Shyam Bihari Singh.
