Ex-External Affairs Minister and sitting Member Parliament from Patiala Preneet Kaur today lashed out at the AAM Aadmi Government for gross mismanagement of Patiala's Bus system. Patiala's New Bus Stand was inaugurated by CM Bhagwant Mann in May this year, but till now neither the local shuttle buses have started operating properly, nor the shopkeepers of Old Bus Stand have been provided any relief.
In a statement released here, the Patiala MP said, "Patiala's New Bus Stand was a brainchild of Captain Amarinder Singh government and it's construction was almost completed during our government with a proper planning to utilise the Old Bus stand also, so that the people plying their trade near bus stand are not affected.
Sadly after the formation of this AAP Government who were in a hurry to take credit for the new infrastructure, gross mismanagement has caused huge losses not only to the shopkeepers of the old bus stand, but the whole city." Preneet Kaur further said, "During the inception of the new bus stand a proper plan was laid out to keep the Old Bus stand in the city operational for buses traveling up to 60km radius and also for local shuttle buses who were to ferry passengers to the new bus stand which is situated fairly outside the city."
"Instead of following this plan, the current government has completely left the old bus stand deserted, which has caused major suffering to shopkeepers who were earning their bread through shops inside and outside adjoining the old bus stand. Now despite their repeated demands the government hasn't provided any respite to them nor have they given them preference for acquiring shops inside the new bus stand," she continued.
Former PRTC Chairman KK Sharma said, "During Captain Amarinder Singh Ji's government we had planned to start 30 shuttle mini bus service from the Old Bus stand to the New one, but no such thing has been done by the current government leaving the local passengers of Patiala in big discomfort. This move has not only caused losses to shopkeepers working inside the old bus stand, but the entire markets of Patiala internal city.
As the new bus stand is at the outskirts of the city, the footfall of customers from other cities has dropped drastically causing losses to the entire business community of Patiala."