Khattar corners Kejri on state issues

Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 16

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has smartly cornered his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal into agreeing to resolve a number of pending disputes between the two states. Here on a specific mission to ensure a smog-free Delhi, Kejriwal had no choice but to positively respond to several issues raised by his host.

Though a majority of the issues raised by Khattar pertain to widening of roads and decongestion of traffic between Delhi and adjoining towns and cities in Haryana, Khattar demanded release of Rs 287.91 crore by the Delhi Jal Board for laying carrier lined channel (CLC) from Munak to supply water to Delhi.

Shortly after the two held talks on reducing smog in Delhi and the NCR, Khattar put the matter on record by dashing out a letter to Kejriwal that read, “I am happy to note that we have deep and equally shared concern at the problems being faced by people of Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Jhajjar and Sonepat due to air pollution and to develop a concrete action plan. I am particularly happy that you have agreed that an elevated road link from Ashram Chowk to Badarpur and automation of tax collection by the Delhi Government at the entry into Delhi from Gurugram on NH-48 will be accorded top priority.”

Khattar also pitched in for acquisition and development of the proposed 80-metre-wide link road in the National Capital Territory (NCT) to link Dwarka with the 150-metre wide Northern Peripheral Road (NPR) in Gurugram. The total length of this link was 19.5 km, of which development had been completed on 16.5 km of the 18-km stretch in Haryana.

Construction of the portion in Delhi through an 80-metre-wide road linking the NPR with Dwarka was pending. Completion of this road would provide an alternative route to traffic from Delhi bound for Manesar, Rewari, Jaipur and beyond on the NH-8, easing congestion on the NH-8.

He further said linking of the MG Road with Nelson Mandela T-point near the Basant Kunj flyover had been approved in Zone J of Delhi’s Master Plan. Haryana had already requested speedy implementation of the already approved link in zone J. Khattar said since the DDA had termed the link as unfeasible for passing through a regional park, an alternative alignment should be taken up.

Khattar also asked for widening of the link road between the Mehrauli road near Andheria Mor in Delhi to the Gurugram-Faridabad road near Gwal Pahari through Gadaipur and Mandi as it would ease traffic on the MG Road within Delhi and provide a direct link to the Gurugram-Faridabad road and the NH-8 through the Greater Southern Peripheral Road.

He demanded release of ‘abiana’ (water cess) amounting to Rs 2,74,78,664 from cultivators in Delhi as the state had been supplying 51 cusecs for cultivators in the NCT through its network of canals. Delhi had also not released extra raw water charges for Haryana, which had been releasing water from the common pool in Tajewala to keep the Wazirabad pond full in compliance with Supreme Court orders.