Brace yourself for traffic snarls as Prime Minister comes today

Traffic disruptions are likely in the city on Saturday as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh comes here to hand over the keys of one-room tenements constructed at Dhanas to slum dwellers

Traffic disruptions are likely in the city on Saturday as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh comes here to hand over the keys of one-room tenements constructed at Dhanas to slum dwellers. Political parties,including the BJP and BSP,are ready to show black flags to him in protest against the rehabilitation policy.

The PM will land at the Chandigarh Airport at 10.30 am. From here,his cavalcade will proceed towards Dhanas which is the venue for the event. From the airport,the cavalcade will move towards Sector 29-31 roundabout to the transport light point. Thereafter,it will cross Sector 26 and then head towards the Raj Bhawan. Crossing the Raj Bhawan,it will go towards the road in front of the Sukhna Lake,crossing the residence of the Haryana Chief Minister and towards PEC. After reaching the PGI roundabout,the cavalcade will proceed on the road leading to Sarangpur and from there to Dhanas.

Along the route that the cavalcade moves,traffic will be stalled to let it pass. This could lead to chaos on the roads as was evident during the rehearsal as well. The main gates of PGI and Government Multi-Specialty Hospital,Sector 16,will remain closed and patients will be required to use alternative routes.

A total of 8,448 flats have been constructed at Dhanas. The PM will hand over the keys to 10 beneficiaries. Of the total tenements constructed,8,000 are to be allotted. In the remaining flats,schools,dispensaries,anganwaris and police stations will be set up. A population of around 40,000 people is expected to live here once the process of shifting is complete.

The beneficiaries are required to shift within a month of the allotment letters being issued. In case they do not then the allotment can be cancelled. A monthly rent of Rs 800 has to be paid for the first five years. This will be increased by 20 per cent every five years. At present,a total of 6,110 beneficiaries have been identified by the Estate Office and the allotment letters are being issued by the Chandigarh Housing Board which is the nodal agency for the project.

Over the past few days,work for sprucing up the area was being done. The road leading to the venue has been four-laned. The block in the complex at Dhanas where the PM has to visit has been given a facelift even as the remaining flats cry for attention.

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