Hry CM wants dedicated board for tricity’s homogeneous development

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 9

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has impressed upon the Central Government the need and urgency to create a statutory empowered and dedicated board or authority for homogeneous development of Chandigarh, the joint capital of Haryana and Punjab, and its adjoining towns of Panchkula and Mohali, the region popularly known as the tricity.

In a communication to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, the Chief Minister has stated that such an authority would facilitate development of regional infrastructure in the tricity, ensure effective coordination and address such issues as traffic congestion and high-quality healthcare and education.

Even the International Airport is underutilised in the absence of proper access from Chandigarh, Panchkula and beyond. The Metro Rail project has been in doldrums for too long. The growing urban character of the tricity and the ever-growing aspirations of residents of the tricity require immediate solution, he stated.

The Chief Minister said he would separately take up this proposal with Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore.

Tracing the steps taken in this regard, Manohar Lal Khattar said: The Punjab New Capital Periphery Control Act was enacted by Parliament in 1952 to ensure healthy and planned development of Chandigarh and to regulate construction activities within 10 miles of it. Both state governments have since prepared controlled area plans laying out land uses and restrictions”.

Since 1975, a coordination committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary, MoUD, Government of India, has been attempting coordination in the activities involving urban planning. Another committee comprising chief secretaries of Haryana, Punjab and Adviser to the UT Administration, was constituted in 2012 for preparation of inter-state regional plan for Chandigarh. Despite several meetings held by these committees, many regional infrastructure issues are yet to be effectively addressed, the Chief Minister stated.

“There is an urgent need to create a statutorily empowered and a dedicated board or authority to facilitate development of regional infrastructure and for effective coordination.,” he said.