The road in front of Sukhna Lake Chandigarh. (File photo)The proposal to make the area around Sukhna Lake vehicle-free will be taken up in the meeting of the new Administrator’s Advisory Council to be held Friday. Confirming the development, U T Advisor Manoj Parida told Chandigarh Newsline that issues of law and order, making the area around Sukhna pedestrian-friendly and the parking policy will be among the key agendas that will be taken up during the meeting.
“We will discuss making the area from the parking point of Sukhna to the point near the Punjab Raj Bhawan be made open only for pedestrians and restrict the entry of vehicles,” Parida said adding that suggestions will be taken from the stakeholders on the exact stretch that has to be declared vehicle-free.
No vehicle will be allowed in the specific stretch that will be earmarked by the administration. At present, it becomes risky for visitors to cross the road from parking to Sukhna Lake due to the traffic. The UT Administration has also planned to make Sector 17 vehicle-free. Around two-and-a-half years back, the parking lots in Sector 17 were decided to be closed for the development – as the area has to declared vehicle-free. However, due to resistance from the traders and series of protests, the decision had to be held back.
This will be the first meeting of the council after it was reconstituted on August 6. Sources said that UT Administrator during the council meeting will speak on the city getting a global shooting range, Sardar Beant Singh Memorial international centre and several other issues that administration is working on.
The menace of child beggary, stray dogs, shifting of the location of the sensory park, transfer of department of education and health from Municipal Corporation to administration will also be discussed. The council will first see the introduction of the new members and they will also be given a choice to be part of sub-committees they wish to be part of.
The new UT Administrator’s Advisory council that was re-constituted comprises Sportsperson Abhinav Bindra, Lt General (retd) KJ Singh and various other association members. This time, political representatives of only three political parties have been taken while last time representatives from six mainstream parties were taken in the council. Representatives of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), BSP, and CPI, who were present in the last Administrator’s advisory council, have not been included this time.
