Chandigarh asked Haryana-Punjab for their opinion on metro (file photo)
Jagran correspondent, Chandigarh. The wait for metro in Mohali, Panchkula and Chandigarh (Tricity) has been 17 years long. Now the Chandigarh administration has sought a clear answer from the Haryana and Punjab governments in this matter, whether they are in favor of the metro project or not.
In this matter, recently on the instructions of the Chief Secretary, the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) formed for the metro project from Punjab and Haryana has been asked to clarify the matter. Questions have been continuously raised on the UT administration regarding the delay in the metro project. Chandigarh MP Manish Tiwari has raised the issue in Parliament thrice, in response to which the Central Government said that it has not yet received any proposal regarding Metro in the tricity.
Till now the UT administration itself has not been able to finalize the rights report regarding the metro. For the last one year, the governments of Haryana and Punjab have also withdrawn their hands in the matter. No decision has been taken yet by the Punjab government regarding giving land for the metro junction in Mullanpur. On the other hand, the Haryana government is also completely silent about the Metro after former Chief Minister Manohar Lal went to the Centre.
Speaking on Wednesday, Chief Secretary H Rajesh Prasad said that UMTA has been asked to clarify the situation regarding the metro project, so that the UT administration can take further action in the matter. In such a situation, the ball has now gone into the court of Haryana and Punjab governments regarding the metro project.
'UMTA could not take decision in 34 months'
Chandigarh MP Manish Tiwari, who recently raised the issue of Metro in Parliament, wondered what concrete steps the Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) has taken in the last 34 months, whereas two detailed reports regarding the feasibility of the project have already been submitted to the administration.
Tiwari said that both the reports submitted by RITES (Railway India Technical and Economic Services) have underlined the financial feasibility of the metro project. Despite this, not sending the proposal to the Center on behalf of the concerned states and administration is a serious matter.
Traffic increased manifold in the city
Due to rapidly increasing population in Chandigarh and surrounding cities (Mohali-Panchkula) and registration of 10 thousand new vehicles every month in Chandigarh alone, traffic pressure is continuously increasing. Every day lakhs of people come to Chandigarh for work from Mohali and Panchkula. In such a situation, the need for an integrated and modern public transport system has been felt for a long time.
Experts also believe that a project like Metro will not only reduce the problem of traffic jam, but will also be helpful in pollution control and fuel saving. Now the ball is in the court of the concerned administration and state governments. If they prepare a formal proposal and send it to the Central Government, only then the further process on the project can begin.
Metro project cost reaches Rs 24 thousand crores
The proposal for metro project in Tricity was sent to the Central Government for approval in 2008-09. Along with Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana governments started working on metro. In 2023-24, former administrator Banwari Lal Purohit and advisor Dharampal started efforts again regarding the metro. Haryana and Punjab also promised to provide budget and land, but since last one year the proposal of metro project has taken a complete U-turn. The project of Rs 10,500 crore has now reached Rs 24 thousand crore.
Current administrator Gulab Chand Kataria raised many questions regarding the usefulness of the project and issued orders to form a committee to first conduct a survey in the cities running metro in the matter. Till now the report and survey of the committee are buried only in the files.
Officials admitted negligence in cow shed case
In the meeting with the Chief Secretary and journalists on Wednesday, in the recent case of death of more than 50 cows in the cowshed, the Special Secretary Municipal Corporation admitted that there has been some negligence at the administrative level in this matter. There were not enough doctors at that time and there was negligence in the matter of cleanliness also. The investigation report of this entire matter has been submitted to UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria.
'Big projects will be completed in stipulated time'
Regarding many big projects related to the city, Chief Secretary H Rajesh Prasad said that the tender has been issued for Zirakpur-Tribune flyover, along with this, instructions have been issued to the engineering department to complete other city-related projects including PGI-Punjab University underpass, Sarangpur flyover within the stipulated time limit. A high power committee will be formed to monitor all projects.
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