Punjab gives nod to shorter airport route from Chandigarh; will acquire 14 acres

Tribune News Service

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, May 22

The Punjab Government today gave in-principle approval to the construction of a shorter and alternative route to the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport from Chandigarh.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit and attended by Punjab Chief Secretary VK Janjua, UT Adviser Dharam Pal among other officers at the UT Secretariat here.

The UT Administration has been deliberating on developing a shorter and alternative route to the airport, as the existing one is longer as residents have to travel 11.5 km to reach the airport via Junction 63.

The alternative route has been prepared after consultations with all stakeholders, including the Punjab Government, Ministry of Defence, Air Force authorities, Chandigarh International Airport Ltd, Ministry of Railways.

The Punjab Government has also given its in-principle approval to acquire land falling in its jurisdiction. In-principle approvals have already been taken from other stakeholders.

A total of 56 acres will be acquired for the route, of which 42 acres fall in Chandigarh, while the remaining 14 acres come under two villages — Jagatpura and Kandala — of Punjab. For award of compensation for land falling in Punjab, the matter would be taken up with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, said an official.

The new route is planned to start from Purv Marg, 200 metres short of the Vikas Marg T-point intersection while heading towards Mohali from Tribune Chowk.

Residents have to currently travel 11.5 km to reach the airport from Junction 63. The proposed route to the airport will cut short the distance by 8 km to around 3.5 km. With this, the travel time will be reduced from 25 minutes to 5 minutes.

At the previous meeting held under the chairmanship of the UT Adviser on May 12, other stakeholders, including the Indian Air Force, Airports Authority of India, and Railways, gave their consent to the project plan with some modifications in the route. The Railways has already agreed to construct a railway underbridge for the new route.

The issue had been delayed for the past few years as the Punjab Government had been unwilling to acquire land for the road. The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority was also coming up with an alternative shorter route to the airport from White House (via Bestech Square Mall), which would reduce the distance by nearly 5 km.

Only five-minute drive from city

• Punjab has given in-principle approval to construct shorter route to airport from Union Territory; nod has already been given by other stakeholders
• Route has been prepared after talks with all stakeholders, including MoD, IAF, Chandigarh International Airport Ltd. Rlys will build an underbridge for new route
• Residents have to travel 11.5 km from Junction 63 to reach airport; UT route will cut travel time to 5 min from 25 min; Pb also plans 8.5 km route via Bawa White House
• For award of compensation for land to be acquired falling in Punjab’s Jagatpura and Kandala villages, the matter will be taken up with the CM

Property rates in area likely to surge

With the coming up of the new route, real estate prices in the area are expected to go up. When the Airport Road was constructed in Mohali, the prices of property on both sides of the stretch had increased manifold, says a property dealer.

About The Author

Tribune News Service

The Tribune News Service brings you the latest news, analysis and insights from the region, India and around the world. Follow the Tribune News Service for a wide-ranging coverage of events as they unfold, with perspective and clarity.