Title - Har, Pb reach consensus to ease the load of Chandigarh

Haryana and Punjab governments along with Chandigarh administration today arrived at a consensus to work on several projects, including developing Metro Rail link for Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali, and construction of an international airport.Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda joined his Punjab counterpart Parkash Singh Badal and the Union Territory Administrator Shivraj Patil to take these steps to ease the load of Chandigarh, which also serves as the common capital for the two states.Hooda said this while participating in a panel discussion on "Future of Chandigarh" organised by an English daily here today, a Haryana Government release said.While detailing out his plans to take the pressure off Chandigarh, Hooda said that the state government has already prepared a number of development plans including development of Panchkula township, Panchkula extension, Mansa Devi Complex and Kot-Behla Urban complex.A large township has also been planned as Pinjore-Kalka Urban Complex for a population of five lakhs.The entire periphery zone, extending upto 10 miles from the outer boundary of Chandigarh, has already been planned for a population of 14.23 lakhs by 2021, he said.With a view to maintain the green character of the adjoining areas, Haryana has planned urbanisation of only 10,848 hectares while leaving 21,244 hectares outside the urbanisable zone of development plans, but having periphery controls, the Chief Minister said.

Later, Hooda, in reply to a question, pointed out that there is no institutional arrangement to involve Punjab and Haryana in development of Chandigarh, adding that he and Badal do not have any say in development of Chandigarh.

"We are never asked to give comments or suggestions for development of Chandigarh," he added.

Hooda said that negotiations have been held with the authorities of the Post-graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh to set up its extension in Panchkula on the pattern of an extension of AIIMS, New Delhi in Badhsa in Jhajjar district of Haryana.

He said that Panchkula would have a National Institute of Fashion Technology.

On the issue of Metro Rail project for Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali, Hooda thanked Patil, who is also Governor of Punjab, for convening a meeting and offered help of the state government in this project.