Officials: Periyar bus stand shopping complex work to be over in 2 months

Madurai: The shopping complex being built at the Periyar bus stand as part of its redevelopment plan under smart cities mission is expected to be ready in the next two months with as much as “95% of the work complete,” according to city corporation officials. The revamped Periyar bus stand was opened to the public in 2022 after much delay but the shopping complex could not be completed then. Two week ago, the assembly pledge committee led by Panruti MLA T Velmurugan inspected the project and expressed dissatisfaction over its status and suggested a few changes to the corporation.It was in this context that mayor Indrani Ponvasanath and corporation commissioner K J Praveen Kumar inspected the shopping complex work on Tuesday and assured traders that works will be speeded up. The corporation has recruited a private agency to study how to maximise revenue from the shopping complex and set the rent for the shops. The total cost of the project under the smart city mission was 174.56 crore, out of which 50 crore was allocated for the bus stand which was inaugurated in December 2021. The three-storey complex comprises two underground levels, basement 1 for shops and basement 2 for two-wheeler parking. A total of 475 shops are planned to be rented on the three floors and basement 1. “The evacuated shopkeepers in the bus stand will be given first priority,” said a senior corporation official. As many as 125 shopkeepers have registered themselves to get a shop in the complex. The complex is planned to be equipped with centralised air-conditioning. The corporation recently fitted air-conditioning systems inside the complex and is awaiting a high tension line from Tangedco to give power supply. The underground car parking connected with the shopping complex (basement 1) is also awaiting inauguration along with the complex. The facility will be beneficial to devotees coming to Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple who will have a hassle-free parking experience in addition to the multilevel parking near the temple. R V Rajaram, president of Periyar bus stand traders association, said, “The project which was promised to be completed in 18 months has been delayed by more than a year. We petitioned many commissioners to speed up the process. Hope it gets completed within the next two months.”
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.