The Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for the tricity area on Thursday received a nod of all stakeholders with Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar submitting that the metro connectivity should be extended to Panchkula district’s Pinjore and Kalka towns from Chandigarh and Zirakpur town in Punjab.

 The approval by the Punjab Governor and UT-Chandigarh Administrator Banwarilal Purohit came during a meeting of representatives of Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh. Besides Khattar, Punjab Cabinet Minister Anmol Gagan Maan and UT Adviser Dharam Pal also attended the meeting, along with the Chief Secretaries of both stakeholder states of Punjab and Haryana.

 The agenda of the meeting was to discuss the report of Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited (RITES) that proposed a Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) spread across Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula. Various proposals for mass rapid transport system to tackle tricity's growing traffic congestion was discussed.

 The RITES report suggested that the first phase of the Metro Rail system would consist of three corridors in Chandigarh. Of the total 39.2 km proposed, 16 km will be underground, while the remaining elevated.

 Dharam Pal said that the proposed Metro would be built in non-heritage sectors, and the Administration was comfortable with the idea. Punjab and Haryana were brought into the discussion as the proposed Metro would also pass through their respective districts of Mohali and Panchkula.

 During the meeting, alternate routes for the Metro project were suggested by the stakeholders for seamless traffic management in the tricity, such as Housing Board Chowk to Panjab University and PGIMER and Chandigarh airport.

 The metro rail project was first proposed for Chandigarh in 2009 and the detailed project report (DPR) was prepared in 2012 after spending Rs 1.5 crore. Surveys were conducted and the first phase was to begin in 2013. But in 2014, Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher opposed it, stating that it will uproot the city, before it was ultimately rejected by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2017.

 Connect Pinjore, Kalka, Zirakpur with Chandigarh through Metro: Khattar

Suggesting to extend the metro to Pinjore and Kalka towns from Chandigarh and Zirakpur town in Punjab, Haryana Chief Minister said that these routes should be included in the first phase of the metro project.

 During the meeting, the Chief Minister suggested that important places like PGIMER, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and Punjab and Haryana’s joint secretariats and Vidhan Sabha should also be added in the first phase of the metro.

 “Pinjore and Kalka should be connected with Chandigarh under the metro plan as it is the gateway of Himachal Pradesh and movement of a large number of people takes places towards Panchkula and Chandigarh on a daily basis. This will further strengthen the Panchkula-Chandigarh connectivity, ensuring smooth flow of traffic,” Khattar said.

 He also suggested that the airport connectivity to Panchkula should be considered under the plan. “The metro should aim to improve and facilitate airport connectivity. A timeline in this regard should be prepared and it should be included under the mobility plan,” he added.

 Besides, the Chief Minister also suggested that the area of the Ghaggar river and new Panchkula extension should also be included in the expansion of the metro.