Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Chandigarh on Friday. (Express Photo: Jaipal Singh)Bickering between Haryana and Punjab left most of the key issues pertaining to Chandigarh unresolved in the Northern Zonal Council meeting that was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday.
Sources said that on one of the most important issues which was alternative shortest road to Chandigarh International Airport Mohali, Punjab refused to cooperate and provide any funds for the project. The UT Administration had expected some breakthrough in the long-pending project in this meeting.
Shah was informed that an approximate amount of Rs 1,400 crore would be spent if an alternative road to Chandigarh airport is made. The route was supposed to cut short the distance for people travelling from Chandigarh and Panchkula.
The Haryana CM also suggested a road connecting Sector 48 to the new airport.
Shah proposes, IAF opposes
A member who was part of the meeting told Chandigarh Newsline, “Shah suggested that if they wanted an alternative route, why don’t they go into the entrance A of the old terminal of the airport and from there a coach to entrance B of new terminal can be taken. However, the Air Force authorities opposed it, stating that there are security issues.”
Then another solution regarding a road around the airport boundary was suggested but then it was discussed that it would require huge land acquisition and thus was not feasible.
However, during the course of discussion, Punjab refused to give any funds for the project of alternative airport route.
Punjab says no to funds
“Since the cost of this route was to be shared among states, Punjab refused to part with any funds as they said that they have proper access to the airport and good roads so they won’t give any funds for it,” a member of the council who attended the meeting said. The alternative route to the international airport has been proposed to cut down the distance for people commuting from Chandigarh and Panchkula.
As per techno-economic feasibility study, conducted by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, the alternative route was supposed to cost a whopping Rs 1,217 crore which has further escalated to Rs 1,400 crore.
Thus, the issue remained unresolved and it was said that further study be conducted to see if there any other feasible solution. UT Administrator V P Singh Badnore mentioned that Chandigarh is the only city in the country where three state governments share the infrastructure and various issues are being resolved with the cooperation of all concerned. He particularly highlighted that Sukhna Lake has been conserved by them with the cooperation of Haryana and Punjab and has been declared as a wetland. He sought more cooperation from them in resolving other issues. He particularly drew attention to the construction of an outer ring road and MRTS.
Heat over airport name
Haryana raised the issue of renaming of Chandigarh airport. In 2016, the Haryana Vidhan Sabha had unanimously passed a resolution to name the Chandigarh International Airport as Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport, Chandigarh. Punjab had demanded that the airport be named Shaheed-e-azam Sardar Shaheed Bhagat Singh Airport, Mohali. “Haryana objected stating as to why should it be Mohali when they also gave 25 per cent funds for it only because it has the word Chandigarh. On this, Amit Shah joked telling Punjab as to why don’t they return the funds given by Haryana?” a member who attended the meeting said.
Punjab then replied that the airport falls in a village in Mohali and that is why they have Mohali with it. It said it was okay if the name was Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport Mohali. However, Haryana then specified then why don’t they write “near Panchkula”. As the two states kept bickering, the meeting called for the status quo.
