At the Plaza in Sector 17, Chandigarh on Saturday. Kamleshwar Singh At the Plaza in Sector 17, Chandigarh on Saturday. Kamleshwar Singh

Smart parking

A smart parking system promises to be in place early this year, with an aim to end parking problems, violations of parking norms and overcharging by parking contractors. Several companies have been invited by the Municipal Corporation to run parking lots in the city. Smart cards will be issued to people to park their vehicles, with recharging of cards possible through e-sampark centres.

Redesigning Sector 17

Sector 17, the heart of Chandigarh, could get a makeover as part of the smart city proposal. The aim is to develop Sector 17 as an art and innovation centre. The three-storey building that houses the office of the Deputy Commissioner will be converted into an art gallery and museum. The DC office is likely to be shifted near the parade ground in Sector 17 or the residential area of the sector. For connecting Sector 17 to Rose Garden, a subway is also proposed.

Plastic to fuel!

In 2017, Chandigarh is likely to get its much-awaited plastic-to-fuel plant. Here, according to the Municipal Corporation’s plans, all plastic waste, including milk packets, will be converted into fuel. Every one kilo of plastic will generate 0.8 litres of fuel. The plant, which will cost about Rs 20 crore, will be set up on a two-acre area near the garbage dumping site and wages will be given to rag-pickers to collect plastic. As per the proposal, 10 collection centres will be set up at strategic locations.

Garbage dumping ground at Dadumajra. Express Garbage dumping ground at Dadumajra. Express

Fly high

For all those who love to travel, the good news is that Chandigarh will get direct connectivity to more international destinations and better facilities at the new airport. Air India announced that it would start flights to Singapore and Bangkok in 2017 and there’s a proposal to start a flight from Chandigarh to London via Delhi, with Jet Airways also planning to start a daily flight from Chandigarh International Airport to Abu Dhabi (AUH) in 2017. In the new year, Chandigarh will also have direct flights to Pune, Hyderabad, Goa and Chennai. New domestic destinations likely to get direct connectivity from Chandigarh are Pune, Hyderabad, Goa and Chennai.

Health is wealth

In the new year, PGIMER will start construction to set up new health centres, with the most important being a Mother and Child Care Centre and Neuro Centre. PGI’s Standing Finance Committee (SFC) has already given its nod to setting up of a 300-bed neuroscience centre and a 300-bed Advance Mother and Child Care Hospital. Fifty acres of land at Sarangpur was sanctioned by the UT Administration for the centres, with diabetes and national organ transplant centre and a new complex with 24 operation theatres also being planned.

State-of-the art station

Railway officials are optimistic that in 2017, the Chandigarh Railway Station will wear a world-class look and boast hotels, a mall, swanky stores, a bank, cloak room, food outlets and a VIP waiting lounge. Indian Railway Station Development Corporation Limited, in consultation with a German consultant, has prepared the concept for the redevelopment, with 500 acres of railway land acquired in Chandigarh for the project, which will be self-financed.

At the railway station in Chandigarh. Express At the railway station in Chandigarh. Express

Waiting for water

Residents of Chandigarh and Mohali can look forward to the completion of Phase IV and Phase VI of Kajauli waterworks. At present, the peak summer demand in Chandigarh is 116 million gallons daily while supply is 87 MGD. In Mohali the demand is for around 27 MGD of water while it is getting only 13 MGD. The Municipal Corporation has assured of 24×7 water supply in all sectors once the work is complete.

Travel in style

The Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) will introduce luxury inter-state bus service, which is expected to be launched by March 2017. At present, CTU has only ordinary and semi-luxury buses plying on roads. To begin with, CTU plans to start the service with a fleet of 40 buses to important destinations in Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi.

Fashion first

The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will start operating from Panchkula from the 2017-18 session. The foundation stone of the campus of the institute was laid by Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani on December 29, 2016, and the construction is expected to be completed in the next two years. The institute proposes to run regular degree courses in fashion design, textile design, fashion technology, apparel production, fashion management. As per policy, 20 per cent seats for Haryana domiciles will be reserved for admission in the institute.

Youngsters enjoy a New Year party at one of the clubs in Sector 17 of Chandigarh on Saturday. Sahil Walia Youngsters enjoy a New Year party at one of the clubs in Sector 17 of Chandigarh on Saturday. Sahil Walia

Funds for PU

How will the Panjab University financial crisis end? A million dollar question which has dominated the minds of every student, resident of the city and people from adjoining states as well. For now, there are no answers. With Punjab refusing to increase the grant and no signs of a waiver from the University Grants Commission (UGC) or the Central government, we hope in the new year PU V-C Arun Grover can change the present situation.

Learning curve

With the government pushing for a cashless economy, parents will now have to deposit school fees through debit and credit cards, which is a first, especially in government schools. Also, we are looking forward to the finalisation of the Governor’s proposal of extended schooling in government schools.

A night at Chhatbir

There’s good news for animal lovers, with Chhatbir Zoo all set to begin night safari and open new walking trails, dream projects of Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore. Work on these projects is already under way and the zoo will also have more facilities and attractions in the new year.

At Chhatbir Zoo near Zirakpur. Express At Chhatbir Zoo near Zirakpur. Express

Mohali needs bus service

One of the major problems that Mohali residents face is the lack of a city bus service. The project has been pending for the last four years. Soon after taking over as mayor in August 2015, Kulwant Singh had promised that he would take loan to start a city bus service. It’s been more than a year, but the project hasn’t seen the light of day. Shifting the new bus stand from Phase VII to Phase VI has also added to the woes of the residents, with autorickshaw drivers making the most of the situation. The new year will hopefully bring some good news to the residents.

At ISBT in Sector 17 of Chandigarh. Express At ISBT in Sector 17 of Chandigarh. Express

Match point

Tricity hockey lovers are in for some home matches of the Jaypee Punjab Warriors in the Hockey India League at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium. The Punjab team is scheduled to play its first home match of the league on February 9 against Ranchi Rays apart from four more matches. This season will also see the play-offs, i.e semi-finals and finals, to be played in Chandigarh. For cricket lovers, the IS Bindra PCA Stadium will play host to Kings XI Punjab home matches in the 10th edition of the Indian Premier League in April-May this year. Tricity’s Minerva Football Club, which became the only team from the region to play in AIFF I League this season, will also play their first I League match on January 8 in Delhi, apart from playing their home matches in Ludhiana.

Estate office to go paperless

The Panchkula Estate office will go paperless by next month if everything goes as per plans of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA). Once implemented, Panchkula estate office will be the first in the state to go paperless. For implementation of the project, HUDA has got the entire property records of Panchkula — both commercial and residential — digitised, for which a private company was hired. Back-end computerisation of the estate office has also been done and it has successfully carried out a trial on Sectors 27 and 31 in the first week of December.

A view of Panjab University. Express A view of Panjab University. Express

Piped natural gas

Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the piped natural gas (PNG) supply in Sector 49, Chandigarh. The project will in the coming year cover all parts of Chandigarh, Panchkula, Nalagarh, Zirakpur and Baddi as well. Over 3,000 kilometre pipeline will be laid in the Tricity to take fuel to the doorsteps of the residents.

24×7 power supply

Panchkula residents will get uninterrupted power supply in the new year. The district comprising Panchkula city, Panchkula urban, Kalka, Barwala, Pinjore and Raipur Rani, will be the first in Haryana to get this distinction. If all goes as per plan, the power woes during summer time will become a thing of the past. Reason to cheer, indeed.

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