Jeypore: The hopes of old bus stand traders to secure stalls in the new government bus stand premises are fading. While a case is still pending in the High Court, as per the information provided by Shri Mahapatra from the administration, the names of the new stall owners were announced on the 20th. The announcement was made through a notification issued by the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) and the OSRTC DTM.
Announcement of New Bus Stand Stall Owners
7 Days Given for Agreement Submission
The names of traders allotted stalls, hotels, and dormitories in the new bus stand have been announced. This has led to dissatisfaction among the old bus stand traders. The newly allotted stall owners have been given seven days to submit the agreement documents and the required security deposit. The Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) DTM, Ishwar Mahapatra, stated that failure to complete the documentation within the stipulated time would result in further action.
The list of stall owners has been displayed on the office premises and notice board. A total of 29 stalls, 2 hotels, and 1 dormitory have been allotted, and the respective owners have been informed. Since no one applied for stall number 21, it remains vacant. As per the regulations, a security deposit of Rs2 lakh is required for a stall, Rs4 lakh for a ground-floor hotel or dormitory, and Rs3 lakh for a second-floor hotel. The traders allotted these spaces have been given a seven-day deadline to submit their agreement and security deposit to OSRTC. If they fail to comply, the next highest bidder will be given priority as per the tender rules.
Preference Given to Old Bus Stand Traders
Preference was given to traders from the old bus stand for 10 stalls and 2 hotels. They were given a chance to match the highest bid amount, but they refused. On the 6th of the month, they were called to the DTM office for discussions but rejected the offer. They refused to pay the highest bid amount. A final opportunity was given until the 7th at 6 PM. Following their request, an extension was granted until the 19th, but they still did not take advantage of it. As a result, the 10 stalls and 2 hotels were allotted to the highest bidders as per the tender rules.
Tender and Legal Disputes
On January 20, a notification was issued for stall allotment. A total of 203 applicants purchased the application form by paying ₹5,000 either in cash or through demand draft (DD). After the application submission deadline on February 4, the tender box was opened on the 5th. The minimum monthly rent (excluding GST) was set at Rs 3,000 for stalls, for ground-floor hotels, ₹6,000 for second-floor hotels, and ₹12,000 for the dormitory. However, traders from the old bus stand opposed this and moved the High Court. On March 6, they submitted related documents for the hearing.
After the administration announced the stall allotment results, the old traders expressed their dissatisfaction and submitted a demand letter to the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) and DTM on the night of the 20th.