Raiganj, July 6 -- Bus services operated by the North Bengal State Transport Corporation (NBSTC) on the Bhatol, Bindol and Bharatpur via Hemtabad routes from the Raiganj depot have remained suspended for more than two years, causing severe inconvenience to passengers.
In the absence of NBSTC buses, daily commuters, patients, students and traders are facing considerable difficulties. They are compelled to travel to Raiganj town by auto-rickshaws and toto vehicles, resulting in higher travel expenses and longer journey times. Residents of the affected areas have urged MoS for Education and Raiganj MLA Kaushik Chowdhury to take immediate steps to restore the bus services.
Mainur Ali, a resident of Bhatol, said that earlier NBSTC buses operated between Bhatol and Raiganj at fixed timings, enabling patients to reach Raiganj for medical treatment conveniently. He alleged that the service was discontinued more than two years ago, forcing patients to depend on crowded auto-rickshaws and toto vehicles. He demanded the immediate resumption of the bus service.
Dayal Roy, a government employee, said: "NBSTC buses previously operated regularly between Bharatpur and Raiganj via Hemtabad, helping office-goers reach their workplaces on time. Another bus also connected Raiganj and Bindol via Maharaja. The withdrawal of these services has caused hardship for commuters. Since the state government has introduced free travel for women in government buses, the suspended services should be restarted to extend this benefit to women in the region".
Responding to the demands, Kaushik Chowdhury said: Discussions have been held with the state Transport minister regarding the issue. The Transport minister assured that the matter would be reconsidered seriously in view of the inconvenience faced by local residents."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.