Mumbai: Maharashtra’s Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has directed officials to immediately restart work on the Panvel bus stand by issuing fresh tenders. The project, which has been stalled since 2018, has gained renewed urgency due to the growing commuter traffic in Panvel, a rapidly developing city on Mumbai’s outskirts.
The announcement came during a high-level meeting held at Vidhan Bhavan to review the functioning of the State Transport Department on Wednesday. The meeting was attended by several MLAs, including Vikrant Patil, Balaji Kalyankar, Vijay Deshmukh, and Daulat Daroda, alongside senior officials such as Dinesh Mahajan, General Manager (Construction) of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), and Girish Deshmukh, Chief Accounts Officer and Financial Advisor.
During the discussions, MLA Vikrant Patil stressed the need for immediate action on the Panvel bus stand, highlighting the increasing pressure on the existing infrastructure. Minister Sarnaik responded by instructing officials to fast-track the process and ensure construction begins without further delay.
Apart from Panvel, Minister Sarnaik also reviewed several other long-pending transport projects across the state. He directed authorities to prioritize the construction of a bus stand at Sangvi in Nanded, fulfilling a long-standing demand from the region. Nanded MLA Balaji Kalyankar urged the administration to act swiftly to address this need.
Additionally, the Minister emphasized the importance of speeding up the development of a new bus port in Shahapur (Thane district) and the central bus stand in Solapur city. Given the approaching monsoon season, he suggested installing temporary sheds at major bus stations to protect commuters from inconvenience.
Modern Transport Hubs for Growing Urban Centers
As urbanization accelerates across Maharashtra, the demand for modern, well-equipped bus terminals has grown significantly. MLAs Daulat Daroda (Shahapur) and Vijay Deshmukh (Solapur) highlighted the crucial role these projects will play in ensuring smoother public transport for local citizens, including students and daily commuters.
Minister Sarnaik assured that the State Transport Department would give top priority to these projects and ensure timely execution to improve Maharashtra’s public transport infrastructure.
