Bill for Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority soon: Khattar

Khattar Gurugram: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said that a bill for setting up and making functional a Metropolitan Development Authority for Gurugram would be introduced in the next session of the state assembly.

Interacting with media persons here today after making an unannounced inspection of development, the Chief Minister said his government had already approved in-principle setting up of the Metropolitan Development Authority for Gurugram. “To make it functional, a bill would be moved in the next session of the Vidhan Sabha,” he said.

He said Metro connectivity in Gurugram would be extended to provide better public transport facility to the people. Connectivity between old Gurugram and new city would also be improved, he added.

The Chief Minister pulled up officers for the poor condition of roads and sanitation, and asked them to ensure sanitation and cleanliness in Gurugram City. He said work of enhancing the capacity of Badshahpur drain was afoot. “This year, arrangements would be made so that the Hero Honda Chowk on NH-8 does not get flooded but next year, the problem of water logging at this chowk would become history,” he said.

In July last year during monsoon season, long tailbacks were witnessed in gridlocked roads in Gurugram due to severe water logging on National Highway-8 after heavy rains lashed Delhis satellite city, which had left thousands of commuters stranded and forcing authorities to clamp prohibitory orders near Hero Honda chowk. Referring to the demand for removing the Kherki Daula Toll Plaza, Khattar said the state government was making efforts in this direction and a committee under the Chief Secretary was working on the matter. He opined that the Toll Plaza should go.

Earlier, Khattar made an unscheduled inspection of the physical progress on various projects in Gurugram. He reached Gurugram at 8.30 am went round inspecting roads on the Delhi-Gurugram border, officials said. He directed the authorities to construct a clover leaf U-turn in front of the Ambience Mall here so that the commuters need not have to come from Rajokri flyover for reaching Mall or Cyber hub.

Haryana Minister for PWD (B&R) Rao Narbir Singh and Chairman Haryana Housing Board Jawahar Yadav accompanied the CM besides local officers during the more than three-hour inspection. After inspecting various underpasses and flyovers being constructed between Shankar Chowk and Golf Course Extension road (SPR), Khattar said these would be inaugurated soon, and, on completion, enable the commuters to cover the distance in seven minutes instead of 40 minutes at present. The flyover on Dwarka Express Way is also nearing completion and is likely to be opened to the public in the second half of May, the CM informed.

He also inspected the Basai flyover, and, after seeing the volume of traffic, directed the authorities to double the capacity after examining its feasibility as it was not enough to cope with the traffic. The Chief Minister also inspected the progress on the improvement works on three major junctions on the National Highway-8, namely IFFCO Chowk, Signature Tower and Rajiv Chowk, and directed the authorities to expedite the work and complete it within a year.

This will ease traffic congestion in Gurugram and provide relief to the commuters, he added. On seeing the encroachments and illegal parking in the green belts along the roads, the Chief Minister directed the officers concerned to get the green belts freed of all encroachments and take up beautification work there. If there is any stay given by the court, it should be pursued and got vacated, he told the officers. He said the “illegal extortion from vehicle owners in the name of parking should not be allowed”.

PTI