HC pulls up UT Administration for master plan delay

Chandigarh, March 12
Coming down heavily on the Chandigarh Administration for seeking extension for preparing the city's master plan, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the administration to hold a meeting on the issue with the states of Punjab and Haryana within four weeks.
Making it clear that the Bench was in no mood to give more extensions to Chandigarh administration for completion of the city's master plan, Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover also asked the administration to remove all the impediments after taking up the issues with the two states. The administration was also asked to place on the High Court record the minutes of the meeting. The case would now come up for further hearing on May 4.
As the matter was taken up for hearing, counsel for the UT administration prayed for six months more to complete the master plan.
The UT counsel argued that additional time was required as there were some interstate regional issues required to be resolved with Punjab and Haryana.
A visibly unhappy Bench refused to grant the time and directed the administration to hold immediate meeting with both the states to sort out the issues.
Chandigarh's master plan committee has already deliberated upon the feasibility of renaming of streets, and the problem of parking in commercial areas. Among other things, it has also looked into the catchment area of Sukhna Lake at Saketri, the heritage buildings of the city, policy for growth and cheap housing accommodation.
For the purpose of preparing the plan, the administration has constituted the committee comprising experts, including the chief architect and the chief engineer. Also included in the committee are retired chief architect MN Sharma and architect-cum-development planner Madhu Sarin.
Already, the committee constituted for preparing the city's master plan is dabbling with idea of making Chandigarh the sports city of the country. Plans are also afoot to make the slum-free city a walkers' paradise.
In its status report submitted to the High Court on the preparation of a master plan for Chandigarh and its periphery, the Chandigarh Administration on the previous date of hearing said its vision included thrust on "providing adequate sports facilities to develop Chandigarh as the sports city of the country, with its vast open spaces, energetic youth and training facilities.