Tech Meets Transit: IT Firms to Power Baramunda Bus Terminal

This announcement was made on Tuesday by the Housing and Urban Development Minister and Chairman of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), Dr. Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, during a special event at BSABT, where shop keys were handed over to beneficiaries. Present at the key handover ceremony were BDA Vice Chairman Chanchal Rana, the local corporator, and senior officials from the authority.

During his address, Dr. Mahapatra emphasised that the integration of IT companies would significantly elevate the bus terminal’s importance beyond transportation. He noted that the Chief Minister had previously announced the opening of a global visa application centre at BSABT. “With IT companies operating from the terminal as well, the overall activity and foot traffic will increase substantially. This will create a vibrant atmosphere and ensure that the small vendors provided with shops here flourish in the coming days,” the Minister stated.

The BDA, currently managing the state-of-the-art terminal, has decided to rent space across two floors of BSABT for IT companies, paving the way for a unique blend of transport services and technology under one roof. Vice Chairman Chanchal Rana added that the presence of IT companies would lead to an increase in daily foot traffic, directly benefiting vendors operating within the terminal. “Previously, many vendors had to operate outside the bus terminal. In the new BSABT, they are provided with air-conditioned shops, enabling them to earn a decent and dignified livelihood,” he remarked.

Earlier in September, the BDA conducted a lottery for the allotment of 112 shops at BSABT on a monthly rental basis. Beneficiaries were selected following a detailed survey conducted by the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC), which managed the old Baramunda bus terminal. The allotted shops are equipped with uninterrupted power supply, water connections, and round-the-clock security. Agreements have already been signed with the BDA.

Spread across 11 acres, BSABT is Odisha’s largest bus terminal, handling over 1,500 buses and nearly 20,000 passengers daily on inter-state and intra-state routes, making it a vital transit hub for the state.