A plan by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to construct new bus shelters across 24 locations using councillors’ ward development funds has raised serious questions about financial prudence and administrative oversight, an investigation by The New Indian Express has revealed.
Despite tenders being floated in September for shelters costing ₹10-20 lakh each, a ground visit found at least five proposed locations already have functional bus shelters. Furthermore, several ward councillors claimed ignorance about projects supposedly funded from their own ward development allocations.
At locations including Vivekananda Illam near the MLA office, Rajaji Salai (Clive Battery), Ibrahim Salai, Tharamani 100 Feet Road, and Cathedral Road near Stella Maris College, existing shelters were found to be in adequate condition. Notably, a new 3D-printed shelter has recently been constructed near Stella Maris College.
“I was unaware that a new bus shelter was proposed near Stella Maris College with my ward development funds,” said Ward 118 Councillor Malliga Yuvaraj. “There are already adequate shelters here. Anything beyond that is unnecessary.”
The investigation uncovered multiple inconsistencies in the project:
Councillor Ignorance and Shifting Explanations
Ward 116 Councillor ARPM Kamaraj initially expressed unawareness of the project in his ward, while contractors provided conflicting justifications. One contractor first claimed a replacement was needed due to poor condition, then changed his story to say it was an “addition” based on school requests when the existing shelter was found to be in good shape.
Questionable Locations and “Typographical Errors”
At Clive Battery, where both sides of the stretch already have sufficient stops, Ward 60 Councillor Azad Z claimed the new shelter was needed because “buses often skip the existing stop and park slightly further away from there.” However, a 3D-printed shelter was recently built at the same location.
More strikingly, one tender mentions a proposed shelter in Ward 142 on “CIT Nagar Main Road” – a road that doesn’t exist. Councillors attributed this to a “typo.”
Minimal Damage, Maximum Spending
At Ibrahim Salai, the existing shelter built during the AIADMK regime is slated for replacement. During inspection, only three seats were found missing. When questioned why repairs weren’t sufficient, officials claimed there was “no legal provision for repairs – only for new construction.”
திமுக அரசு மூன்று லட்சத்தில் முடிய வேண்டிய சாதாரண பேருந்து நிழற் குடை 25 லட்சம் என்று கணக்கு காட்டுகிறார்கள்🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️#DMKFailsTN pic.twitter.com/sC0yfDSvWv
— Suresh (@Suresh199104) October 18, 2025
Similarly, in Tharamani, a new shelter is proposed just 50 meters from an existing one, with the justification that the current shelter’s proximity to a traffic signal “obstructs the pedestrian pathway.”
Repeated attempts to contact the superintending engineer of the Bus Route Roads department and Deputy Commissioner (Works) V Sivakrishnamurthy for clarification were unsuccessful.
The revelations have sparked concerns about potential misuse of public funds, particularly given the significant cost variations for shelters with identical specifications and the apparent duplication of infrastructure in already well-served areas.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
