Metro/monorail: UT to appoint new consultant to take call

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, May 30 

The Chandigarh Administration will appoint fresh consultant to decide the best mode of transport option for the city. This was stated by Manoj Kumar Parida, Adviser to the UT Administrator, here today. 

He said, “The two studies conducted by the Administration earlier have given divergent views on the issue. While one supports Metro the other prefers Monorail.” 

“The Administration is working on the short and long term plans to end traffic chaos in the city,” he added. 

The initial work on the Metro project was started in 2006. Delhi Metro Corporation Limited (DMRC) prepared a detailed report (DPR) for the project in 2012. The 37-km Metro was proposed for the city while the total track length of 7.8 km was planned in Punjab and 6.41 km in Panchkula (Haryana). 

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was also signed amongst the Haryana, Punjab and the UT Administration but the project never saw the light of day after Kirron Kher, the local Member of Parliament, opposed the Metro project and supported Monorail in the city.

30 big govt houses to be vacated for senior officers 

Parida also informed that the Governments of the Punjab and Haryana had agreed to the proposal of the Chandigarh Administration not to allow bureaucrats to retain their houses after retirement. 

With the decision more than 30 big government houses will be made available for senior officers of the Governments of Punjab, Haryana and the Chandigarh Administration. 

The decision has been taken after it has found tough to allot government houses to eligible senior IAS and IPS officers due to shortage.

Convention centre to come up at IT Park 

“The Administration is planning to construct convention centre at the IT Park. Besides, houses for the Punjab and Haryana Governments will also be constructed at the IT park,” said Parida. 

He also assured employees that their concern regarding the inter-departmental transfer policy would be addressed soon. “The work on the Tribune flyover project will also begin on time as the Administration has finalised the tender documents for the project and the permission for cutting trees has been sought from the authorities concerned,” Parida added. 

“The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation must generate revenue to improve its financial condition. The MC has been told to review its Budget proposal, which is unreasonable in the eyes of the Administration,” he said. 

“The fee of government counsels has been revised,” he added. 

Metro project

The initial work on the Metro project was started in 2006. Delhi Metro Corporation Limited (DMRC) prepared a detailed report for the project in 2012. The 37-km Metro was proposed for Chandigarh while the total track length of 7.8 km was planned in Punjab and 6.41 km in Panchkula (Haryana).