GOOD DAYS AHEAD: Truck terminal at Ibrahimpatnam near Vijayawada. - Photo: Raju V.

VIJAYAWADA: If the district administration succeeds in its attempt to enforce from Monday the High Court order banning wholesale business and loading and unloading of goods in One Town, the VGTM-Urban Development Authority (VGTM-UDA) will be the happiest agency.

If barricades were put up on the narrow roads of One Town to prevent entry of any vehicle barring auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers, as decided on Thursday, transporters of goods and parcels will have little choice but to use the truck terminal constructed by the UDA at Ibrahimpatnam.

Chain reaction

As the shifting of wholesale business from One Town to Gollapudi has a direct bearing on the truck terminal coming into use, the UDA has waited all these days, hoping for a positive verdict from the court. "It will be a chain reaction," UDA vice-chairman Y.S. Prasad says.

The UDA had spent a little more than Rs. 16 crores for creating the required infrastructure and construction of shops, godowns, offices and tyre repair units. It still owes some money to the AP Genco for the land taken from the VTPS for construction of the terminal. Of the 780 goods transporters who purchased shops, offices or godowns in the terminal, 625 had paid full amount and the UDA is waiting to recover the remaining Rs.1.71 crores of dues.

The UDA is also facing the problem of convincing banks to extend loans to the remaining goods transporters who want to purchase a shop or a godown in the terminal, as the bad repayment record of those who already took loans has left bankers highly discontented.

Approach road

Mr. Prasad says laying an approach road to the terminal has also remained a pending issue, as it was earlier agreed that the UDA and the transporters would share the cost (Rs. 60 lakhs equally). But it now looks like there is an alternative road for vehicles to enter the terminal, he says.

"We want to see the facility that we have created with so much of money coming into use. It now looks like this is not very far," Mr. Prasad says.

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