The state government has asked railway subsidiary RITES to conduct a study on whether a multi-tier parking facility for buses is feasible where the Esplanade bus terminus stands now, the advocate-general told the high court on Friday.
The division bench of Justices Debangsu Basak and Shampa Sarkar was hearing a petition by environment activist Subhas Datta, which submitted that the state government had not shifted the Esplanade bus terminus despite an order by the court, which was also upheld by the Supreme Court.
Advocate-general S.N. Mookherjee said RITES had been asked to conduct the survey following a meeting last week. The meeting, presided over by the chief secretary, was attended by representatives of the army, Metro Railway, Kolkata Port Trust, Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Kolkata police.
The state had earlier informed the court that adequate land was not available to shift the Esplanade bus terminus.
The high court had in 2007 passed the order to shift the Esplanade bus terminus from its current location.
In the latest petition, Datta has mentioned that the high court’s order that the bus terminus be shifted to a place beyond 3km from the Victoria Memorial was based on a report by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute.
The lawyer appearing for the port authorities told the bench they could give a plot on Hyde Road to the state government for the bus terminus.
The high court asked the state authorities to inform the court about their plans for the development of Esplanade. “Proper planning is needed to develop the environment of the Esplanade area, especially after the construction of Metro station,” Justice Basak said.
