The Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee had to approve the project before it could move forward, but after a few minor revisions to the project proposal, they approved the revised design of the underpass. After hanging in the air for more than three years, the much-desired pedestrian underpass between PGIMER and Panjab University is finally about to become a reality.

At the Kiran Cinema in Sector 22, the Chandigarh Heritage Committee has also approved the construction of commercial levels.

The Chandigarh Heritage Conservation Committee (CHCC), which had been waiting to approve the project, has now approved the revised underpass design after making a few minor revisions to the project proposal, allowing for the start of construction.

The decision was made at a CHCC meeting on Thursday that was presided over by UT advisor Dharam Pal.

Before building starts in October, the sewer and stormwater pipelines will first be moved. The underpass, which is expected to cost $7 crore, will be ready in a year, according to officials.

The project was suggested in November 2019 and approved by former UT administrator VP Singh Badnore. Nearly 10,000 people use this busy stretch of road each day.

In addition to providing pedestrians with a safe passageway, the underpass will facilitate the smooth flow of motor traffic, reducing congestion and accidents.

After PGIMER and PU declined to provide extra space of 60 square yards on either side for a pedestrian underpass, the UT architect department changed the project’s design. To take into account the current site conditions, the redesigned design has been altered.

Kiran Cinema won’t be showing any further films.

The historical panel approved a request from the owner of Kiran Cinema in Sector 22 to expand two commercial floors inside the structure without tearing down the exterior facade.

Previously, the owner’s plan to demolish the structure and turn it into a multiplex had been denied by the heritage panel. After deciding to entirely discontinue movie showings, the owner had later presented a new petition to allow commercial activities.

decision regarding the transfer of the property on a sharing basis to the UT

The heritage panel repeated its stance from May that no review was necessary in response to the Supreme Court’s directives on January 10 to explore redensification in Sectors 1 to 30. However, it said that the UT administration could make a distinct choice regarding the sale of shares of real estate.

While prohibiting the conversion of residential homes into floor-by-floor apartments in certain sectors in its order from January, the Supreme Court also stated that the city’s heritage committee will take the subject of redensification in these regions into consideration.

The Chandigarh Master Plan (CMP)-2031 and the 2017 housing rules must now be reviewed by the UT government in light of the committee’s suggestions, the court said. Any modifications must be submitted to the central government for approval.

The heritage committee asserted, however, that because the CMP-2031 previously made decisions regarding issues of density, floor area ratio (FAR), and cultural conservation, no reassessment was necessary. There is no need to submit a proposal to the federal government for consideration since no modification was suggested.

The panel stated that following careful consideration of issues related to urban planning and historical conservation, the master plan was accepted. Therefore, its provisions will be upheld.

The committee members decided that because these decisions involved legal aspects, the administration could consider making decisions on these issues as per judgment after conducting a thorough legal examination. These decisions related to restrictions on share transfers outside of families and approval of building plans where property is co-owned by strangers/non-family.

Project Street for People in Sector 15 has been suspended

The committee suspended work on the Sector 15 “Street for People” project.

Manisha Chaudhary, senior superintendent of police (Traffic), stated that the project had been put on hold for the time being since they hadn’t reviewed the proposal for review.

Source- Hindustan times
Link- https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/finally-pu-pgi-underpass-gets-green-signal-from-chandigarh-heritage-panel-101694730219597.html