Bhubaneswar: Passengers at the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bus Terminal (BSABT), popularly known as Baramunda Bus Stand, in Bhubaneswar will soon have access to affordable snacks, meals and essential items inside the terminal.

The lottery process for shop allotment, completed in September, cleared the way for traders to open their outlets from December 10.

According to the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), the terminal has 124 shops on the ground floor and eight on the first floor. Traders who were evicted earlier will be rehabilitated first. The remaining shops will be allotted later.

Rise of Makeshift Shops Outside Terminal

Since the shops inside the terminal remained closed for nearly two years, passengers depended on roadside vendors. This led to an increase in pushcarts and temporary stalls outside the terminal. At least 20 such makeshift shops have come up.

The presence of these structures has raised concerns about whether they will be removed once the shops begin functioning. Locals fear that if action is not taken now, clearing them later will become difficult.

Library for Passengers Now Empty

A small library created near the waiting area earlier had books for passengers to read while waiting for their buses. It was widely appreciated. However, the books have now disappeared, and no one seems to know who removed them.

Dispute Over Shop Allotment Now Settled

A trader said the old OSRTC bus stand had earlier accommodated existing shopkeepers. When the new terminal was built, BDA had promised to relocate them. But confusion arose when BDA issued notices stating that a private agency would handle the agreements and allocations. The traders refused, leading to a long delay in the allotment process.

For nearly one and a half years, no shops could be allotted. The issue is now resolved, and traders have agreed to take shops on a monthly rent basis.