Transport nagar project a non-starter

Ambika Sharma 

Tribune News Service

Solan, February 10

The transport nagar project in  Solan is facing funding hurdles.    

The foundation stone of the project worth Rs 20 crore  was laid by the Chief Minister in April last   year and its construction was supposed to begin after that.  No progress has, however, been made in the project even after 10 months. 

The administrative approval to the project  was accorded by the government before the foundation stone laying ceremony. Since stakeholders, who are  members of the Maa Durga Society comprising motor mechanic shop owners, had agreed to give Rs 5 crore for this project. The approval was also accorded by the government on the basis of the commitment.

  The Urban Development Department was supposed to bear the remaining expenditure but later both department as well as society members  refused. 

A proposal to fund  the project  on a built-operate-transfer basis was also mooted but that also failed to make it functional.   It was supposed to house 135 showrooms and 140 workshops on 15,417 sq m area at Kather village. 

A detailed project report (DPR) had also been prepared. The project was specially designed for vehicle showrooms and automobile shops in Chambaghat, which were demolished as the land was acquired for the four-laning National Highway-22. The project has created an embarrassing situation for the government.

Officials in the Municipal Committee said the funds were awaiting a Cabinet approval. 

The project was conceived in 2010. It was decided to built pre-fabricated structures   after much deliberations following which its foundation stone was laid in April 2018.