Chandigarh Tricity's comprehensive mobility plan seeks UMTA approval

 After the refusal of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to approve the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Chandigarh and the Tricity, citing that it was not within their domain, the UT administration has taken the initiative to seek approval for the CMP during the upcoming meeting of the Unified Metro Transportation Authority (UMTA).Following the ministry's request, the concerned officials have been tasked with making the decision, and this crucial step will pave the way for further progress on the metro project in Chandigarh Tricity.The first UMTA meeting will include a detailed agenda item titled Approval of Final Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) for Chandigarh Tricity Complex, which will be presented for approval. Given that all stakeholders from the states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh will be present at the meeting, it presents an ideal opportunity to obtain their approval, enabling the immediate commencement of the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and Alternative Analysis Report (AAR).An official from the Chandigarh administration emphasised the importance of adhering to the MoHUA guidelines during the CMP's preparation, making the approval based on these new guidelines essential for all stakeholders.The UMTA is envisioned to have complete control over approving all transport-related initiatives under the respective jurisdictions of the stakeholders. The approval of investments in projects will be subject to compliance with the CMP. This means that investments will only be allocated to implementing agencies once they receive approval from UMTA, and such approval will be granted only if the projects align with the CMP.The existing CMP for the Chandigarh region, prepared by RITES in 2009-2010, did not align with the new guidelines of the Government of India (GoI). Consequently, an updated CMP for Chandigarh Tricity has been formulated by RITES with new data, in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), incurring a cost of Rs 8.5 million plus GST.