PGI-Karoran stretch along choe: Court for swift action on road-widening study

Mohali district administration has informed that the feasibility and viability of widening the road along the choe from the point behind the PGI to Karoran is being assessed by a team from Punjab Engineering College (PEC).

An affidavit to this effect was placed before the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Anil Kshetarpal by the Mohali Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development). The ongoing study is crucial to determining the potential for the road expansion, which is aimed at addressing infrastructure concerns in the region. The road, if widened, will benefit the residents of not just Karoran but also Nayagaon, Nada and Singhadevi. It may eventually benefit people taking an alternative route to Himachal Pradesh.

Taking a note of the submission, the Bench asked PEC to expedite the submission of the feasibility report. “The Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, is requested to expedite the submission of the report,” the court asserted, underlining the urgency of the matter.

The Bench further directed both Union Territory of Chandigarh and the Punjab Government to work together once the feasibility and viability report was submitted by PEC. “The Union Territory, Chandigarh Administration, and the Punjab Government are required to work in tandem and make their submissions,” the court stated. The collaboration between these entities is vital to ensure timely and effective action following the report’s submission.

The High Court, in a related matter in December last year, had questioned the prolonged denial of basic public amenities to a staggering 2 lakh residents over the past decade in Punjab. The court expressed its surprise at the situation, stating, “We fail to understand as to why 2 lakh residents are not being provided basic public amenities for the past one decade in the State of Punjab.”

The matter pertained to the road, and the area around it, intended to traverse through Kaimbala village, proceeding through Kansal, Khuda Ali Sher, Karoran, Nada and ultimately reconnecting with Chandigarh.

The Bench asserted the reports by a local commissioner showed the proposed road to be 30-meter wide in Punjab. He had serious apprehensions regarding the dumping of garbage in the Chandigarh area, required to be stopped by UT on a permanent basis.

It was also noticed in a report that the road was about 15-16 feet wide. Its further widening, alongside the choe, was pending decision by Punjab and Chandigarh. An area of about 500 metre was falling on the Punjab side, while 400 metre was on Chandigarh side. But decision had not been taken both by Punjab and UT, though directions were passed way back in June 2017. As such, a proposal had been made to repair the existing roads in Karoran, Nada NAC and Nayagaon to make them functional and operational without potholes and accumulation of water and garbage.