Demand for Hyderabad-Bound Government Bus Services Gains Momentum as BJD Seeks Restoration of Raighar and Bhawanipatna Routes

Koraput: Oct 14 [UDN}:The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has demanded the immediate resumption of four Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) Volvo Shree Jagannath bus services connecting Raighar and Bhawanipatna with Hyderabad, alleging that the services were discontinued under pressure from a private bus operator.

Former minister and senior BJD leader from undivided Koraput district, Rabi Narayan Nanda, raised the issue at a press conference and alleged that the government had stopped the services despite their popularity among passengers and their reportedly profitable operation.

According to Nanda, the Shree Jagannath Volvo services to Hyderabad were launched in June 2024 by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, operating under tourist permits from Umerkote and Bhawanipatna. The services reportedly became popular within a short period and were generating good revenue. There had also been demands to extend similar services to Chandahandi, Umerkote, Sinapali and Damanjodi.

Nanda alleged that the four services were subsequently discontinued citing lack of cooperation from the Telangana government, a reason he described as unjustified. He said the suspension had caused resentment among people in western and southern Odisha, who depend on direct bus connectivity to Hyderabad for employment, business, education and other purposes.

He further claimed that around 40 private buses from areas such as Sinapali, Dharamgarh, Umerkote, Damanjodi and Malkangiri operate towards Hyderabad and Vijayawada under tourist permits. Of these, he said, 24 are owned by operators from Chhattisgarh, six by operators from Andhra Pradesh and only 10 by operators from Odisha.

The senior BJD leader also alleged that buses operated by out-of-state owners were carrying large numbers of passengers and substantial quantities of luggage, and raised questions over the enforcement of transport and permit regulations.

Nanda urged the Odisha government to take immediate steps to restore the four Shree Jagannath Volvo services to Hyderabad in the larger public interest. He also called for expansion of the government-operated bus network to other underserved areas of southern and western Odisha, arguing that reliable interstate public transport would significantly benefit residents who regularly travel to Hyderabad.