MSRTC’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar bus stand in Kolhapur to be inaugurated today after two-year delay

Kolhapur: The newly constructed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar MSRTC bus stand in Kolhapur city will be inaugurated on Friday, after a two-year delay, in the presence of state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik. The new MSRTC bus stand buildings at Wathar, Peth Vadgaon, and Jaysingpur in Kolhapur district will also be inaugurated on the same day.As part of his Kolhapur visit, minister Sarnaik will inspect the Central Bus Stand at 11am, followed by prayers at the Mahalaxmi Temple, a visit to the Datt Temple in Nrusinhwadi. The inauguration programme will begin at 12.30pm with the opening of the Peth Vadgaon bus stand building. At 2.20pm, the Jaysingpur bus stand will be inaugurated. The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar bus stand building in Kolhapur city will be formally opened for public use at 4pm.The redevelopment of MSRTC bus stands across Kolhapur district was initiated during the tenure of then minister of state for transport and guardian minister Satej Patil. Under the initiative, Rs 9.80 crore was sanctioned for the renovation of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar MSRTC bus stand, with the aim of transforming it into a modern facility on the lines of an airport terminal. An additional Rs 2 crore was allocated for the Jaysingpur bus stand, while Rs 1 crore each was sanctioned for the Peth Vadgaon and Wathar bus stands.Construction of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar bus stand began in Dec 2020 and was completed in April 2024. Despite the completion of work, the modern and architecturally attractive building remained unopened for nearly two years. The revamped bus stand has been developed to ease congestion at the Central Bus Stand and reduce bus traffic on the city's major roads.The inauguration of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar bus stand is expected to significantly benefit MSRTC passengers from the southern and western parts of Kolhapur city. Welcoming the development, Nilesh Chougule, a resident of Timber Market who travels to Pune for work every week, said the opening of the bus stand was long awaited. "The Sambhajinagar MSRTC bus stand will serve as a much-needed alternative to the Central Bus Stand. I will now be able to board buses from here instead of travelling all the way to CBS," he said.