"What propelled us to take on the ambitious project was the number of passengers which, over the years, has increased beyond the capacity of the existing terminals as also the overriding need for making the GSRTC a self-sufficient body", GSRTC Managing Director Varesh Sinha told Express Newsline.

He said that under the project, development of around 139 bus terminals besides construction of as many commercial complexes equipped with all the modern facilities of international standard would be taken up all over the State.

"The entire project cost", Sinha said, "will be borne by private builders who, after having undertaken the construction of bus terminals and commercial complexes, will lease them out to private parties and will, in turn, give the GSRTC its share from the profit running into crores."

He said private builders were being awarded contracts for implementation of the project because the GSRTC could not afford to take up such a vast project as it is fund-starved ever since the Central Government stopped financial aid to ST Corporations all over the country in 1994.

The proposed bus terminals and commercial complexes will come up on the 100 acres leased out to the GSRTC for 99 years on a token rent of Re 1 by the State government last year.

"Of the total estimated project cost of Rs 300 crores, Rs 50 crores have been set aside for the expansion of the Ahmedabad central bus terminal located in the city's Astodia area as well as for construction of a multi-storeyed commercial complex adjacent to the terminal", Sinha said.

The terminal, according to Sinha, will be equipped with facilities like a resthouse, nursing home-cum-hospital, first-aid centre, separate waiting rooms for men and women, creche, post-office, telephone booths, clock-room, bank and pay and use parking. Besides that, he said, facilities like skating-ring and escalators will also be provided at the terminal.

The commercial complex to be built adjacent to the terminal will be housed in a six-storeyed building, of which two floors will be used by the Corporation for its offices while the rest will be for shops and three-star hotels. "Similar work of either expanding the existing terminals or building new ones equipped with the same facilities will be taken up in as many as 139 places all over the State" Sinha said, adding, "commercial complexes will also be built alongside the 139 proposed terminals."

The Corporation employees, however, say they smell a rat in the entire project. "Besides pocketing huge amounts as kickbacks from the builders to whom the contract for the project has been awarded, the GSRTC authorities, by their decision to construct commercial complexes have violated the GSRTC's mandate which stipulates that the Corporation was meant to provide cheap bus service to the masses", alleges Gujarat State Transport Workers' Federation general secretary Dayabhai Pilwaikar.