Chandigarh: New road passing through Sector-2 green belt causes uproar

On Saturday, Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira lodged a complaint with Chandigarh administrator Banwarilal Purohit, protesting against the road’s construction

The construction of a new road through the green belt in Sector 2, located near the official residences of Punjab ministers, has evoked uproar from various sections.

Chandigarh chief engineer CB Ojha said the road was being constructed after getting approval from the UT urban planning department. (HT Photo)

On Saturday, Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira lodged a complaint with UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit, protesting against the road’s construction.

In his complaint, Khaira alleged that the road was being built at the behest of an AAP leader and was a clear violation of the Chandigarh Master Plan. “The construction is being undertaken on the weekend to avoid judicial intervention. There are several residents who want the illegal construction to be stopped,” he said.

Senior architect Surinder Bahga said building a road exclusively for a section of rich and influential people in violation of the Chandigarh Master Plan was wrong. “The Master Plan cannot be violated. Besides, reducing the green area is also illegal,” he added.

Meanwhile, UT chief engineer CB Ojha said, “The road is being constructed after getting approval from the UT urban planning department, as 17 houses have been facing connectivity problems.”

In July 2017, former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, while he was the technical education minister, had illegally constructed a road outside his official residence (House Number 46, Sector 2), to ensure an east-facing entry to his official residence for an auspicious tenure. The road, readied using interlocking tiles, was built by cutting into the green belt outside his house.

But the Chandigarh administration had razed the illegal road and stopped further construction, besides confiscating the building material.