CHANDIGARH: UT adviser Dharam Pal will chair a meeting on Friday to finalise a shorter route from the city to the international airport in Mohali. The UT had earlier proposed three routes and later shortlisted two.
Talking to the TOI, the UT adviser said, "A meeting will be held on Friday, which will be attended by representatives of Punjab and Haryana governments, Airports Authority of India (AAI), ministry of defence (MoD) and railways. We will decide on one route out of the proposed two. In both the routes, land belongs to different stakeholders, therefore, a joint meeting has been called."
Last month, the Punjab and Haryana high court had issued directions to hold a joint meeting under the chairmanship of the UT adviser and finalise a shorter route from the city to the international airport in Mohali. The directions were issued after the UT administration submitted an affidavit, stating that they had proposed three routes and later shortlisted two.
The court had sought fresh status reports on different infrastructure projects related to Chandigarh international airport from all the stakeholders. A petition was filed by the Mohali Industries' Association in public interest for making the airport, on which Rs 1,400 crore were spent, fully functional.
Pal had recently convened a meeting of UT officials for shorter routes from Sector 48 side. He had stated that the UT had explored various options, but there is a small area that falls under the jurisdiction of the Punjab government. For that portion, land acquisition process has to be initiated by the Punjab government. The route is being considered from Sector 48 to Faida village, opposite sectors 47 and 48, to the airport. At present, the residents reach the airport by taking about 15-km detour via Mohali.
The proposed two routes from Sector 48 point (opposite sectors 47 and 48), will reduce the distance from Sector 29-31-Industrial Area roundabout to the airport by around 10 km.
