Thimphu Thromde’s long planned new bus terminal in Olakha will finally see the light of day. The new bus terminal plan, unveiled way back in 2004, has received long awaited go-ahead from the land owners who have so far protested its construction.
The plan to construct a new bus terminal remained up in the air for 14 long years as Thimphu Thromde and the land owners remained at loggerheads over several land related issues.
Disagreements over land acquisition and compensation were the main sticking points. However, the two parties have now overcome the negotiations stalemate.
At a recent public consultation meeting, the land owners agreed to give their land for the construction at government land compensation rate, which was revised last year.
“There are few of them who do not have any other land in the city, so as per the land act, they will be granted a plot each as compensation,” Thrompon Kinlay Dorjee said. “We will submit this to the land commission.”
The Thrompon said owners were given the choice to either built the terminal on a public private partnership model or accept compensation as per the land act.
He added construction of the terminal is unavoidable. “If we look at the current situation at Lungtenzampa, there is severe congestion of traffic and people, especially in the mornings and evenings. It has become a critical situation. So, it’s important that we start the construction as soon as possible and complete it.”
The new bus terminal will be built on an area spanning over six acres. The Thrompon said the construction works are expected to begin in the early years of the upcoming Five Year Plan.
Background
The plan had failed to make much headway up until recently as Thromde and the land owners remained at a negotiations stalemate with disagreements over land acquisition and compensation.
The land identified for the new bus terminal construction belongs to 23 people. They had wanted the government to either give them compensation in cash at the market rate, or provide them with a land replacement in the core town area.
But the Thromde turned down both the proposals, saying the demands of the land owners are not in line with the land compensation provisions in the land act.
In an earlier interview with BBS, Thrompon Kinlay Dorjee had said that the act clearly states that if the land owner has no land in the Thromde area, only then will the owner be eligible for a plot in the town as compensation.
Speaking to BBS early last year, some land owners had claimed that the Thromde did not consult them about the bus terminal plan. But Thromde had denied the allegation. Thrompon Kinlay Dorjee had said it’s possible they did not turn up for the consultation meetings.
Now with the Thromde having achieved a major breakthrough, the long planned new bus terminal, which until recently looked like it will have to be shelved, will see the light of day.
