City Beautiful to be free of slums by 2014: Bansal

While addressing a ‘meet the press’ programme,Bansal said a policy to rehabilitate street vendors would soon be put in place. Recently,a survey had been conducted about the number of vendors. A policy for them is being prepared by the Centre.

Bansal added that Chandigarh had better air and rail connectivity than before. Duronto to Amritsar would soon become an express train with stops at Ludhiana and Jalandhar. He added that the Metro Rail,once operational,would enhance connectivity in the city.

The minister further said that some changes in the building by-laws that were demanded by residents had been accepted. Talking about the issue of lal dora,he said that no houses outside lal dora would be demolished. “Decision making is a protracted process. Rules for construction outside lal dora will be framed,” he said.

Bansal emphasised that over the past three-and-a-half years,land had not been acquired in the city. The issue of land acquisition had become a contentious one in Chandigarh with farmers protesting against the prices being paid to them. Some cases are going on in the Supreme Court. Bansal stated that he would continue to make efforts to get Punjabi the status of the official language of the city.