Sambalpur, 28th July 2025: A growing dispute has emerged at the private bus terminal in Ainthapali, Sambalpur, where auto drivers are opposing the construction of a new battery bus charging unit and the expansion of the bus depot in their designated parking zone.
The Veer Surendra Sai Auto Drivers’ Association has raised serious concerns, stating that hundreds of auto drivers depend on this stand for their daily livelihood. Since 2015, the area within the bus terminal had been officially approved as an auto parking zone, and drivers have been paying parking fees regularly.
The association submitted a memorandum to the District Collector, demanding that the charging unit and depot expansion be relocated to an alternate location to avoid disrupting their work. They also presented the original SDA (Sambalpur Development Authority) approval letter confirming their legal right to the space.
However, the recent unauthorized installation of battery bus charging units by CRUT (Capital Region Urban Transport) under the “Ama Bus” service and attempts to expand the depot are now in direct violation of that prior approval, they alleged.
> “If parking space is taken away, many auto drivers will lose their means of livelihood,” the association said.
They have called for urgent intervention by the District Collector, and copies of the complaint have also been forwarded to:
- Sub-Collector
- Tehsildar
- Sambalpur Municipal Corporation Commissioner
- Regional Transport Officer (RTO)
- Delegation Members in Discussion with the Collector:
- Advisor: Sanjit Mahanti
- General Secretary: Premananda Mishra
Members: Birendra Sahu, Debjyoti Pattnayak, Sumit Patel, MD Aftab, Sheikh Nuruddin, Jayprakash Sahu, Santosh Bihara, Bibhishan Kanda, Panchanan Mishra, Vishu Sil, Vishnucharan Si, Basanta Meher, among others.
The situation remains tense, as both the modernization of urban transport and the protection of traditional livelihoods seem to be on a collision course.
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