Govt looks to revive ISBT from 'death bed'
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 06 2025: Taking serious note of the appalling condition of the Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT), Khuman Lampak which was inaugurated by then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on December 3, 2011, the State Government has taken up steps to revitalize the ISBT .

It was however opened for use only later.

The ISBT was constructed by the PWD with financial assistance from the NEC at the cost of Rs 23.76 crore.

Right from the day it was inaugurated, the project is unable to serve any purpose.

Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) Anurag Bajpai made a spot assessment of the existing condition of ISBT on October 3 .

Subsequently, he consulted officials concerned on why ISBT could not be put to any good use and how it can be revitalized.

Govt looks to revive ISBT from 'death bed'

In spite of its shabby condition, Anurag Bajpai saw the potential of transforming the ISBT campus into a vibrant transport hub.

The Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) also inspected the offices under the District Transport Office, Imphal East.

Noting that the DTO Imphal East is located within the campus of ISBT, he instructed the office to form two teams of three officials each to monitor the condition of ISBT campus regularly.

A social media post circulated by the Transport Department said that the Additional Chief Secretary's spot assessment was aimed at re-developing the ISBT.

The same post said that additional infrastructure and facilities would be installed for the convenience of passengers and transporters.

After its inauguration on December 3, 2011, the ISBT was left unused for a very long time.

It was only on November 13, 2016 that the ISBT was put to use through IMC for a period of six months on trial basis in accordance with a decision of the United Metropolitan Transport Authority.

The trial period was extended to December 31, 2017 and the ISBT was operated under public-private partnership (PPP) model.

In the meantime, the condition of the ISBT deteriorated more and more and it was ultimately put out of use.

The condition of ISBT deteriorated during the Covid pandemic when all trucks reaching Manipur had to report there and the drivers and helpers of the vehicles had to be monitored there for the viral infection.

Later, the State Government hired a private agency to carry out a feasibility study on re-developing the ISBT and operating it under PPP model.

After completing its assessment, the agency submitted some recommendations regarding construction and management of the ISBT .

At the same time, the option of operating the ISBT under the Transport Department after renovating it properly is also being considered, sources said.

According to the sources, the Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) has also expressed desire to let the Transport Department operate the ISBT.

At present, DTO Imphal East, Department of Taxation and a unit of Central forces are being accommodated inside the ISBT campus.

Even though the ISBT was constructed with the primary objective of giving a common parking space to all passenger buses and other vehicles scattered around Imphal city and reduce traffic congestion, it has miserably failed to serve its intended purpose so far.

There is no system or arrangement at the moment for operation of passenger buses from the ISBT, the sources said.