CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh administration has constituted a special committee of senior officers of UT and Punjab and Haryana governments with the approval of Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria.
The committee will look into aspects related to financial viability & feasibility of the Metro project and will coordinate with the Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL), Air-Force Station Chandigarh and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to resolve inter-governmental coordination issues related to alternate route to Chandigarh airport and development of ring road around UT.
The officers in the committee have been directed to give a report on all such issues in two months.
The shorter route to the Chandigarh airport and ring road around Chandigarh are crucial projects to ease out traffic. The project of the ring road will be executed by the NHAI. Even as some issues regarding land acquisition have been resolved, many inter-related issues among Punjab, Haryana and NHAI haven’t found a way forward.
“With the project of ring road, the outer traffic won’t have to enter Chandigarh to go to other states. The project will provide a major relief to Chandigarh. Similarly, the project of shorter route also requires active coordination with Punjab government as well as Air Force and airport authority” UT sources said.
The minutes of the meeting, chaired by Kataria, read as, “The UT administrator is pleased to constitute a committee to study the feasibility of Metro project thoroughly, from all the aspects, including CAG reports on other Metro projects, and to submit its reports as to whether the Metro is financially viable in UT or some other means of transport may also be explored to decongest traffic in the city.”
“The committee will also examine the relevant issues and suggestions as mentioned in the minutes of meeting of UMTA and will coordinate with officials of Chandigarh International Airport Ltd (CHIAL), Airforce Station Chandigarh and NHAI to resolve inter-governmental coordination issues related to alternate shorter route to Chandigarh airport and development of ring road around UT. The committee to submit its report within two months,” minutes of meeting added/
The committee includes secretary, Urban Planning of Chandigarh administration; secretary transport, Chandigarh administration; administrative secretary transport, Government of Haryana; administrative secretary transport, Government of Punjab; administrative secretary, town and country planning, Government of Haryana; administrative secretary, housing and urban development, Government of Punjab; chief engineer, Chandigarh administration; chief architect, department of urban planning, Chandigarh
