The existing old bus stand should be continued even after the tentatively scheduled inauguration of the new bus station on March 1 to utilise the decades-old facility as the "city and rural bus station", opined speakers at a roundtable held here on Tuesday.
Participants representing a cross section of denizens of the city demanded that the old bus stand be retained to protect the livelihoods of scores of street vendors, fruit sellers and other small-time businessmen of the areas surrounding the decades old bus station.
The roundtable was presided over by the former Khammam municipal chairperson Afroz Sameena, who is the corporator from the 30th division in the Khammam Municipal Corporation (KMC).
Among those who participated include the CPI (M) district secretary N Nageswara Rao, the CPI (ML-ND) district leader A Ashok, and a host of other leaders representing various political parties, vendors’ unions and mass organisations.
While welcoming the decision to inaugurate the new bus station, the speakers at the roundtable opposed the reported move on the part of the authorities to shelve the old bus stand after the inauguration of the new one at the NSP camp in the town.
It is essential to retain the old bus stand in addition to the upcoming new bus station in view of the fast-growing city and protect the livelihoods of scores of street vendors and small shopkeepers and traders operating in the vicinity of the existing bus stand situated near the railway station, they contended.
The roundtable has resolved to organise rallies, a signature campaign and a Praja Ballot among other mass contact programmes above party lines as part of “Save old bus stand campaign” in the KMC limits from February 17.
