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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Three illegal shrines in Panchkula resist demolition, move court
Despite Supreme Court orders and contempt notices from the Punjab and Haryana high court, the demolition of illegal religious structures on public land in Panchkula remains stalled. After being served notices to vacate around 30 marla of encroached government land, caretakers of three major shrines have initiated legal action against civic authorities. (iStock) After being served notices to vacate around 30 marla of encroached government land, caretakers of three major shrines have initiated legal action against civic authorities. The Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA) on July 8 had issued show-cause notices to the caretakers of three shrines—Nau Gaza Peer dargah on the Sector 5/7 dividing road, Sultan Mohammad Khan dargah in Sector 3 and Jahar Veer Goga Ji temple in Sector 21—asking them to vacate green belt land and remove unauthorised structures. Two of these shrines are located near the Zirakpur-Kalka highway. In response, the caretakers have moved court, challenging the eviction notices. Firoz Khan, caretaker of the Nau Gaza Peer dargah, has filed a civil suit under the Specific Relief Act, against the state of Haryana, HSVP, PMDA, district town planner and land acquisition collector. Khan has sought a stay on demolition, citing lawful occupancy of the 6-marla plot for over 200 years, attaching supporting documents like land records and electricity bills. HSVP responded that their action complies with the apex court and high court directives, alleging illegal occupation of government land. The court, on July 16, did not grant interim relief, but sought replies from the state and civic authorities by October 24. Caretakers of the other two shrines have filed petitions in the high court, with the next hearing scheduled for July 28. The petitioners argue that the Haryana government in 2010 had framed a policy to regularise pre-2009 religious structures, following a Supreme Court directive, but this policy was not widely circulated. They have demanded that PMDA's orders be held in abeyance as decisions on their regularisation applications, filed with the estate office and PMDA, are still pending. Advocate Karundeep Chaudhary, counsel for the Sultan Mohammad Khan dargah, said the shine was served an eviction order from the then NHAI estate officer in 1996 as well. But the order was quashed by a high court division bench in 1998. The court had directed the estate officer to re-decide the matter afresh, ensuring a fair hearing for all affected parties. Officials said most smaller illegal religious structures in the city had already been removed and only these three major ones remained. The Panchkula administration, along with the states of Haryana and Punjab, and UT Chandigarh, have to file their reply in the high court regarding their actions on such illegal religious structures in an ongoing case.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Decks cleared for recarpeting of bad roads in Panchkula
1 2 Panchkula: The long-delayed recarpeting of several road stretches in Panchkula is finally set to begin, following the resolution of issues related to the defect liability period (DLP). These roads, which were earlier under the jurisdiction of the municipal corporation (MC), had been transferred to the Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA). Despite their poor condition, the recarpeting work could not be initiated earlier because the roads were still under the DLP, during which the original contractors were responsible for repairs. Initially, PMDA planned to start the recarpeting work, but civil society groups raised objections, insisting that the MC should ensure the contractors fulfilled their obligations under the DLP. As a result, the matter remained unresolved. However, with the DLP now officially over, PMDA has begun the tendering process to carry out the work. A PMDA official confirmed to TOI that the tendering process would be completed soon and that the recarpeting work would commence after the monsoon season. The roads identified for recarpeting include stretches between Sector 1/4, 3/4, 4/6 (Dolphin Chowk), 25/26, 17/18, 7/18, the underpass near Gurudwara Koohni Sahib to Mata Mansa Devi Temple, and the road from the Sector dumping ground to the new Ghaggar bridge. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gentle Japanese hair growth method for men and women's scalp Hair's Rich Learn More Undo In Panchkula, the PMDA is responsible for sector-dividing and external roads, while the inner roads of sectors remain under the MC's jurisdiction. According to PMDA data, out of 47.29 km of outer roads under its control, Rs 31.92 crore was sanctioned for the special repair of 32 roads covering 25.54 km. Work on 21.72 km has already been completed, and repairs on the remaining stretches are under way. Officials noted that the completed repairs have significantly improved traffic movement and safety. However, due to the DLP, work on several key stretches had been stalled until now.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
PMDA giving new momentum to urban development in Panchkula: CEO Pandurang
Advt Advt Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority is giving new momentum to urban development in the city and continuously working to make it a better place to live, PMDA CEO K Makarand Pandurang said on tackle waterlogging during monsoon, the authority has completed the cleaning of city drains, he said that Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had issued clear instructions for the cleaning of drains across the state before the monsoon season in various on these instructions, the PMDA conducted a major campaign to clean stormwater drains, including the open drain from BEL factory through the industrial area up to Parshuram (Amartex) addition, blockages were removed from two major drains (from MDC to Rajiv-Indira Colony and from Sector-1 to Industrial Area Phase-1) to ensure proper drainage. Roadside drains are also being cleaned regularly to prevent water accumulation, Pandurang said in a added that since the formation of PMDA, works like road repairs, cleaning of monsoon drains, maintenance of green belts and parks, and operation of sewage treatment plants/water treatment plants have been carried out is giving new momentum to urban development in Panchkula, he April 1, 2024, PMDA has acquired assets from the Haryana Urban Development Authority and the Municipal Corporation, Panchkula, thereby accelerating its work, he CEO said that 11 major parks and 19 green belts transferred from Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran are being upgraded. Works like installation of fountains, open gyms, and walking paths are being done at a cost of Rs 13.13 crore. Redevelopment work of Herbal Park in Sector 26 has also begun, he CEO said that keeping in mind the city's basic needs, projects worth Rs 251.17 crore have been approved by of 47.29 km of outer roads under PMDA, Rs 31.92 crore has been sanctioned for special repair of 32 roads covering 25.54 km. Work on 28 roads (21.72 km) is complete, while repair of four roads (3.82 km) is in progress, which has led to significant improvement in traffic movement and safety, he said. PTI
News18
7 days ago
- Business
- News18
PMDA giving new momentum to urban development in Panchkula: CEO Pandurang
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Chandigarh, Jul 22 (PTI) Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority is giving new momentum to urban development in the city and continuously working to make it a better place to live, PMDA CEO K Makarand Pandurang said on Tuesday. To tackle waterlogging during monsoon, the authority has completed the cleaning of city drains, he said. Pandurang said that Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini had issued clear instructions for the cleaning of drains across the state before the monsoon season in various meetings. Acting on these instructions, the PMDA conducted a major campaign to clean stormwater drains, including the open drain from BEL factory through the industrial area up to Parshuram (Amartex) Chowk. In addition, blockages were removed from two major drains (from MDC to Rajiv-Indira Colony and from Sector-1 to Industrial Area Phase-1) to ensure proper drainage. Roadside drains are also being cleaned regularly to prevent water accumulation, Pandurang said in a statement. He added that since the formation of PMDA, works like road repairs, cleaning of monsoon drains, maintenance of green belts and parks, and operation of sewage treatment plants/water treatment plants have been carried out regularly. PMDA is giving new momentum to urban development in Panchkula, he said. After April 1, 2024, PMDA has acquired assets from the Haryana Urban Development Authority and the Municipal Corporation, Panchkula, thereby accelerating its work, he said. The CEO said that 11 major parks and 19 green belts transferred from Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran are being upgraded. Works like installation of fountains, open gyms, and walking paths are being done at a cost of Rs 13.13 crore. Redevelopment work of Herbal Park in Sector 26 has also begun, he said. The CEO said that keeping in mind the city's basic needs, projects worth Rs 251.17 crore have been approved by PMDA. Out of 47.29 km of outer roads under PMDA, Rs 31.92 crore has been sanctioned for special repair of 32 roads covering 25.54 km. Work on 28 roads (21.72 km) is complete, while repair of four roads (3.82 km) is in progress, which has led to significant improvement in traffic movement and safety, he said. PTI SUN KVK KVK view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Time of India
Panchkula DC orders crackdown on unsafe school buses, traffic violations
Panchkula: In a decisive move to enhance student safety and enforce road discipline, deputy commissioner Monica Gupta of Panchkula has directed the traffic police, State Transport Authority (STA), and other departments concerned to take strict action against school buses violating the Safe School Vahan Policy. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Chairing a meeting of the District Committee at the mini secretariat on Friday, DC Gupta instructed officials to prepare a detailed report on errant school buses. She ordered immediate challaning of vehicles found without valid registration certificates, pollution control certificates, or those parked in unauthorised areas, such as outside the Sector 8 parking zone. RTA secretary Haratjeet Kaur was tasked with ensuring the installation of CCTV cameras in all school buses and initiating action against unfit and outdated vehicles. "Shut them down if necessary," the DC emphasised. To tighten enforcement, ACP traffic Surendra Singh was directed to issue maximum challans to violators involved in rash driving, overspeeding, red-light jumping, or driving under the influence of alcohol. The traffic inspector has been assigned on-ground visits to penalize illegally parked school vehicles. Addressing infrastructure concerns, DC Gupta instructed PMDA, NHAI, and PWD (B&R) to expedite pending works. PMDA was asked to repair non-functional traffic signals in Sectors 20 and 21, trim overhanging trees in MDC, and submit a compliance report within a week. HSVP was directed to fix faulty red lights, while the municipal corporation was asked to install speed tables near the Sector 1 college to facilitate safe pedestrian crossings for students. Additional deputy commissioner Nisha Yadav presented a progress update from various departments. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The DC also directed the PWD (B&R) executive engineer to install convex mirrors at accident-prone turns and instructed the district education officer to coordinate with the Red Cross to provide safety training to school bus conductors. The SDM was tasked with conducting random inspections of school buses to ensure ongoing compliance. DC Gupta reiterated the importance of strong inter-departmental coordination and strict enforcement to protect schoolchildren and ensure safer roads for all. Mohali Police conduct surprise inspections of school buses In Mohali, the traffic police conducted surprise inspections of school buses across the district on Friday to ensure compliance with safety norms. The drive was led by SP (traffic) Navneet Singh Mahal, who personally oversaw checks for essential safety equipment such as CCTV cameras, fire extinguishers, and first aid kits. "Our primary goal is to protect schoolchildren by ensuring school buses are fully compliant with traffic and safety regulations," said SP Mahal. Drivers were instructed not to exceed speed limits and reminded of their responsibilities while transporting students. DSP (traffic) Karnail Singh interacted with schoolchildren during the drive, advising them to report any reckless driving, such as overspeeding or driving on the wrong side, to their school principals or senior teachers. He stressed that timely reporting could help prevent potential accidents. The DSP also issued advisories to school bus drivers, emphasizing the importance of wearing uniforms, conducting regular vehicle checks, and ensuring the presence of a conductor or assistant on board. Drivers were urged to undergo proper training for managing and transporting young children responsibly. "Every school bus must be equipped with a first aid box and fire extinguishing equipment as mandated by safety norms," DSP Singh added. The police assured that such inspection drives will continue to ensure full compliance and foster a culture of road safety among school transport operators in Mohali.
