It’s official now. Work on swanky inter-state bus terminals in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad will commence simultaneously from the first week of October.

Urban development secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh, who is also the chairman-cum-managing director of Jharkhand Urban Infrastructure Development Company (Juidco), has directed officials to ensure that the tender process and work allotment for the three ISBTs and redevelopment of the existing Birsa Munda Bus Terminus at Khadgarha in Ranchi is completed before September 30 so that work can start in the first week of October. The construction deadline is two-and-half years (by 2021 end).

“We should start the construction of ISBT projects in Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad in October first week at any cost and see that all the tender process and issue of work order to private agencies is completed before September 30,” Singh directed Juidco in a meeting held at Project Bhawan on Monday evening.

The proposal of the ISBTs in three cities to be run on public-private-partnership mode has already been sent for the cabinet’s approval and the nod is expected any time, urban development department sources said.

“The project has already got consent of the state cabinet in March this year and we are waiting for a formal nod from the cabinet on the DPRs (detailed project reports) of the ISBT projects any time. The idea is to start construction work by October and avoid delays owing to the restrictions imposed by the model code of conduct for the forthcoming assembly polls which is expected around October,” said a project manager-rank Juidco official.

Land has been identified for the projects; 30 acres at Panduki in Govindpur, around 12km from Dhanbad, 10 acres along the NH-33 in Dimna, Mango, Jamshedpur, and over 30 acres at Dubaliya in Kanke, around 20km from Ranchi.

While the Ranchi ISBT has an estimated project cost of Rs 275 crore, the figure for Dhanbad is Rs 266 crore and Rs 78 crore for Jamshedpur. The redevelopment of the terminus at Khadgarha will be undertaken at a cost of Rs 150 crore.

The proposed multi-storey ISBTs in the three cities will boast of cafeteria, retail outlets, hotels, multiplex, modern accommodation facilities along with sufficient parking bays and garages.

The draft DPRs of all the three projects have been prepared by Karnataka-based I-Deck Private Limited.

Currently, all the three cities have cramped bus terminals. While Jamshedpur has to do with 1.5acre area in Sitaramdera, forcing most buses to park along roads creating traffic snarls, Dhanbad has a congested terminus in Bartand and Ranchi has the Birsa Munda Bus Terminal.

“Work on all the ISBTs at Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad and the redevelopment of Birsa Munda Bus Terminus in Ranchi will be held simultaneously,” said Juidco spokesperson Ashutosh Kumar Singh.