The city will soon have “Sector 13”, a sector which never existed since its formation on November 1, 1966. For, Manimajra has been renamed as “Sector 13” in the city.

Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore on Friday approved the proposal of renaming of eight areas, which are not covered under the sectoral grid here. A notification in this regard would be issued soon.

The Administrator, while holding a meeting of senior UT officers approved the proposal of renaming Manimajra, Industrial Areas, Maloya among other places here.

Industrial Area Phase I is renamed as Business & Industrial Park I while the new name of Industrial Area Phase II and Industrial Area Phase III would be Business & Industrial Park II and Business & Industrial Park III respectively.

Sarangpur Institutional area is renamed as Sector 12 (west), Dhanas  including Milk Colony, Rehabilitation colony etc as Sector 14 (west), Maloya and Dadu Majra as Sector 39 (west), Pocket number 8 below Vikas Marg as Sector 56 (west).

Though it is generally believed that number 13 was left out in the city due to superstition but UT official records indicate that Sector 12 and 13 were demarcated initially as a cultural zone in the lower halves of Sector 10 and 11 but later removed to avoid confusion. However, later number 12 was assigned to residential area at the edge of Sector 11 but number 13 was left out in absence of an appropriate area for its location.

Notably, the Resident Welfare Associations in various areas had been demanding renaming of their respective areas and the association in Manimajra had demanded the place to be renamed as either Sector 13 or Sector 26 (East).

Under Chandigarh Master Plan 2031, the reference area for planning constitutes 144 sq km which includes the 60 sectors in the sectoral grid as well as the periphery areas outside it.