Haryana CM wants homogeneous development of Chandigarh

Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal, has impressed upon the Central Government the need and urgency to create a statutorily 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 tri-city.

In a communication to the Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, the Chief Minister has stated that such an authority would facilitate development of regional infrastructure in the tri-city, 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 tri-city and the ever growing aspirations of residents of the tri-city require immediate solution, he stated.

The Chief Minister said he would separately take up this proposal with the Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh, and the UT Administrator, V P Singh Badnore.

Manohar Lal 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 ten 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 Secretary, MoUD, has been attempting coordination in the activities involving urban planning. Another committee comprising chief secretaries of Haryana, Punjab and Advisor to UT Administration, Chandigarh, 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 coordination. The National Capital Region Planning Board Act, 1985 and the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority Act, 2017, can provide excellent starting points for creating a modern structure for achieving the vision of a faster, sustainable and balanced development of the entire Tri-city region,” he added.

CM MEETS GADKARU, WANTS PROJECTS EXPEDITED

Manohar Lal met Union Water Resources Minister, Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Monday and sought Centre’s assistance in expediting various water supply projects of the State and removing obstacles in their effective implementation.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, the Chief Minister said that the Central Government has been requested to speed up various water supply projects of the region especially the construction work of Renuka, Kishau and Lakhwar Dams so that water supply in the state could be further increased.

The CM said that BML Hansi Butana Link Canal in the State is an important project of water distribution. As the Central Water Commission has an important role, the State Government has sought Centre’s assistance regarding the BML Hansi Butana Link Canal.

In reply to a question, the Chief Minister said that the construction work of Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway would be completed in the month of July and Prime Minister, Narendra Modi would soon inaugurate this project. He said that apart from this, Modi would also lay the foundation stone of Gurugram-Dwarka Expressway.