Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has directed administrative departments to accelerate the execution of long-term development plans to overhaul civic infrastructure and modernize public amenities across Panchkula. Presiding over a high-level review meeting in Chandigarh alongside Chief Principal Secretary Rajesh Khullar and Panchkula Mayor Shyam Lal Bansal, the Chief Minister emphasized upgrading public transit, municipal water networks, recreational facilities, market corridors, and digital surveillance systems to support regional growth.
Addressing urban land management, Saini instructed departments including the Urban Local Bodies, Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran, Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority, and HSIIDC to identify government land, clear illegal encroachments, and institute strict monitoring to prevent re-encroachment. To modernize commercial spaces, proposals are being prepared to redevelop roadside vendor markets in Sectors 7, 11, and 17 on the model of Chandigarh’s Palika Bazaar. To ease traffic congestion, authorities have been directed to redesign Majri Chowk and draft an underpass proposal for seamless transit.
The administration also outlined significant measures to expand housing, water security, and rural drainage infrastructure. The process to construct 7,500 residential flats for residents of Kharak Mangoli will commence shortly. To meet growing drinking water demands, initiatives are underway to augment Panchkula’s water supply capacity from the Bhakhra network by 100 million litres per day (MLD), alongside dedicated solutions to resolve water shortages in Kalka. The state is pursuing rainwater harvesting dams in the Morni catchment area while simultaneously expanding the storage capacity of Kaushalya Dam. In Kalka, construction of a multi-storey library is moving through the tender stage, while three new tube wells are being added to the two already commissioned near the local shelter.
Urban security and specialized recreational facilities formed another core focus of the review. Across Panchkula, Kalka, and Pinjore, authorities are deploying a dedicated six-line optical fibre network to integrate 5,470 high-definition CCTV cameras linked to a centralized command and control centre at the Dial 112 police facility, facilitating automated traffic e-ticketing and round-the-clock safety monitoring. On the tourism and sports front, development blueprints are being drafted for a heritage corridor surrounding the Mansa Devi temple, alongside a botanical park and golf club across 117 acres in Saketri. Construction is also advancing on a 9.5-acre sports complex featuring world-class 10-metre, 20-metre, and 50-metre shooting ranges, with an on-site athletes’ hostel planned in the second phase.
Civic sanitation and stormwater improvements are proceeding rapidly across key junctions. Concrete lining works are underway from Town Park to Singh Nala Choe, alongside drainage reinforcement between Sectors 20 and 21 and toward Parshuram Chowk near the BEL facility. Three sewage treatment plants—two with a 6-MLD capacity and one at 10 MLD—are under construction, while the Atal Park project is scheduled for completion by November. PMDA Chief Executive Officer K. Makarand Pandurang reported that the authority has successfully resolved 162 out of 183 public grievances received to date, with 16.80 crore rupees allocated for ongoing road reconstruction throughout Industrial Area Phases 1 and 2.
