The Dimapur Ao Youth Organisation (DAYO) has expressed strong support for the Naga Council Dimapur’s (NCD) recent appeal urging the concerned authorities to begin the operation of all day and night buses from the designated Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT). DAYO emphasized that with the completion of the ROB, the ISBT must be utilized to its full potential, especially as the ongoing festive season approaches.
DAYO’s support stems from the fact that the ISBT, inaugurated in 2002, has largely remained underutilized despite its strategic location and capacity. The terminal, which sits on a 7.50-acre site, was funded by the North Eastern Council (NEC) and was designed to handle more than 200 buses. However, according to DAYO, the infrastructure has not been fully operational, with only a handful of Nagaland State Transport (NST) buses currently plying from the terminus.
“Sadly, the infrastructure has never been fully utilized, and pathetically only a few of the NST buses operate from the terminus,” DAYO stated in a press statement. “Successive district administrations over the years have issued half-hearted directives and feeble reminders for private bus operators to ply from the terminus, but these have fallen on deaf ears.”
The organization further pointed out that the terminal, which should have become a bustling transport hub, is instead nearing abandonment. “It is nearly becoming a deserted destination,” they said, adding that this underuse could be one of the reasons why several central government projects meant for Dimapur have been transferred to other districts in recent years.
DAYO also noted that the recent blacktopping of the half-kilometer road connecting the ISBT to the four-lane highway should eliminate any excuses for further delays in utilizing the infrastructure.
“We hope the successful completion of the roadwork should now eliminate any further excuses used by vested interests,” DAYO stated. “DAYO will extend all possible support to ensure that NCD’s stand is heard by the District Administration and the Police, in order to address the immediate logistical challenges.”
“It is in the interest of the citizens of Nagaland to ensure that the expansion and growth of Dimapur city reaches its deserving stature as the gateway to Nagaland,” DAYO added.