Formation of GDA on Haryana Day?

Separate metro rail corporation

CHANDIGARH: After the Gurujam shock, the Haryana government may introduce a new governing model for Gurgaon on the lines of Singapore or Greater London. A committee is examining models like Greater London and Singapore to suggest formation of Gurgaon Development Authority (GDA) and chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has told the panel to speed up the work following the recent traffic jam in the Millennium City, which saw 20-hour traffic chaos on Thursday and Friday.Sources in the committee say that Australia's Melbourne model may also inspire formation of rules for the purposed body. Member secretary of the 11-member expert committee and director general of Haryana Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) S K Gupta says the panel has already studied administration of 40 top cities in India apart from the foreign ones. Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority and Jaipur Development Authority are among the Indian cities models studied by the committee.Former Haryana chief secretary M C Gupta recently visited London for the purpose. The idea behind so much deliberation is to ensure adoption of best model of local governance so that there is no lacunae in implementation of projects. "We also don't want to encroach upon the powers of other bodies like the municipal corporation," says the HIPA chief.The committee is examining possibility of handing over the development and environment related projects to the GDA while leaving the problems related to unauthorized constructions to the existing bodies. The officials feel that such a body will speed up the development of the city. "The recent traffic jam in Gurgaon was the fallout of lack of coordination between two key departments which failed to ensure construction of sewerage in coordinated way," officials claimed.The issue of GDA had come into limelight in July when Union minister and Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh had taken on the state government stating "small politicians and babus sitting in Chandigarh often make policies and take decisions for the development of Gurgaon". Later, Rao's associates had clarified that he was referring to the Congress regime. Khattar had also strongly supported the demand for GDA. "It is very old demand and the previous governments kept it under the wraps. The negative attitude of the governments made the issue complex but the BJP government in the state is working on it," he said.With chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar keen on GDA, a formal announcement for the same may be made on November 1, the Haryana Day. Being the golden jubilee year, the state has already announced to organise mega events on the occasion. S K Gupta says that the panel will try to submit its report on GDA by August 30.Sources in the state government say that the committee is examining need for a separate metro rail corporation for Gurgaon on the pattern of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). The committee may also suggest extension of the existing metro services.