Sector-17 roads get facelift for Shah’s visit, while others continue to cry for attention

The area is being given a quick facelift for his smooth ride. This apart, new pavers on the road sides were also being fixed on Tuesday.

The beautification drive includes repainting road berms in yellow and black which were earlier painted white and black, installation of new grills at broken or missing sites and painting the old ones. Kamleshwar Singh and (Photo by Hina Rohtaki/File)

As the commuters continue to struggle with craters and a bone rattling experience while driving on city roads, there is an area which is seeing overnight recarpeting of roads—interestingly ones that do not require any recarpeting at all. The reason for this quick action by the Chandigarh authorities is the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. As Shah is due to visit Sector 17 to inaugurate several projects, the route he is supposed to take has been recarpeted not once but twice. The area is being given a quick facelift for his smooth ride. This apart, new pavers on the road sides were also being fixed on Tuesday.

The Indian Express found that the roads around the Sector 17 police station, in front of the ISBT, the stretch near the fuel pump in front of the MC building, all stretches leading to the football stadium have been recarpeted, even as the routes were without potholes. As several roads continue to cry for attention, giving commuters a tough time, residents said that the approach of the authorities is self-speaking.

The Chandigarh Municipal Commissioner Anindita Mitra however stated that the recarpeting was being done for roads that are under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation.

Development and maintenance of roads in Chandigarh is bifurcated among Municipal Corporation and Chandigarh administration. The roads designated as V4, V5, V6 are under Municipal Corporation. The total length of roads under the Municipal Corporation is about 1,800 kilometers.

Read | Concession on road tax for new vehicle after giving old one for scrap

As per the existing policy guidelines, a road is considered due for maintenance if a period of five years has elapsed since placing the last overlay (additional layer of bitumen), which has been found not to be the case with the present roads.

NITTTR had in its study observed that irrespective of the good surface, overlays (additional layers of bitumen) are placed. This means that irrespective of the good condition of the road, an additional layer of bitumen is added which makes the surface more uneven.

The Chandigarh Congress party also issued a statement in this regard. “The condition of the city roads is deplorable and no programme has been charted out to recarpet the roads so far. While most of the city roads are full of potholes, the route where Home Minister Amit Shah shall pass through during his visit is being re-carpeted not once but twice over,” the statement said.

Story continues below this ad

It was also added that, “The road in front of Sector 17 police station was already in a good condition but is being recarpeted a second time. Football stadium in Sector 17 is also being given a makeover. Many contractors are working there on war footing.”

Amit Shah will be inaugurating the Integrated Command Control Centre in Sector 17 along with several other projects of the city. A senior official of the civic body said, “The plan to recarpet roads in the entire Chandigarh that falls under MC’s purview has been chalked out. Plan for road recarpeting worth Rs 65 crore has been worked out.”

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram