The document discusses the vision and prospects for developing the Chandigarh smart region in India. Key points include: 1) The Chandigarh region is growing rapidly and will become one of the largest urban regions in India, with Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula emerging as major population and economic centers. 2) A regional plan needs to be developed to rationalize growth, minimize conflicts, and avoid duplication of infrastructure across the three cities. 3) The regional plan should define the roles of each city, with Chandigarh focusing on administration and services, and Mohali and Panchkula providing housing and decentralizing development pressure from Chandigarh.

1. Vision and Prospect for the Chandigarh Smart Region
Jit Kumar Gupta,
Chandigarh
 Considering the rapid pace of activities and development,Region
is heading towards becoming biggest urban region after Delhi
NCR with large population and high intensity of development.
 Regionis heading towards having three metros including
Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula with Mohali leading in
population and concentration of activities
 Region will emerge as the major hub for the healthcare,
education, IT, ITES, knowledge base industries,
entertainment etc
 Majority of population will be working in the service sector,
followed by the government and the IT, ITES sectors
 Chandigarh would face major pressure in terms of
population and activities due to limited area and limited
capacity besides having quality infrastructure
 Chandigarg would have to seek innovative options to
accommodate additional population without adversely
impacting its unique planned character.
 Mohali and Panchkula are better placed and have enough
options to expand inward and outward in physical,
economic and social context to accommodate additional
activities and population.
 Considering the conflict and politics of development in the
Region- Preparing and implementing Regional plan
should form priority to rationalise the growth and
development of both urban and rural areas.
 Regional Plan shall be essential not only to minimise
developmental conflicts among states but would help in
avoiding duplication ad overlapping of facilities and
amenities

2.  Regional Plan need to define the role and function of
major settlements clearly to provide a well directed growth
in the region
 Delineation of Region will have to be done with care and
caution considering the area of influence of the
surrounding regions in order to avoid dilution/conflict with
the surrounding settlements. Region must have enough
agricultural areas to make it self-sustaining.
 Chandigarh should continue to be administrative city with
service sector as the major economic driver. Industry
should remain a green industry with IT and ITES as the
dominant functions. Chandigarh should also continue to
provide leadership in healthcare and education.
 Mohali and Panchkula should cater to not only
administrative functions of the respective states but should
also provide residential accommodation for its employees
to decentralise Chandigarh and reduce development
pressure.
 A common authority needs to be created for planning,
development and management of the region and its basic
services including water supply, sewerage, sanitation,
roads, solid waste management etc in an integrated
manner to bring efficiency, operational economy and
quality of service delivery.
 Region must have a combined transport authority to meet
the travel needs of the region and to promote public mass
transportation to reduce pressure,
 Chandigarh Capital Regional Planning and Development
Authority Act needs to be framed and put in operation on
priority.
 A dedicated Regional Authority would be essential to
promote integrated growth of the region.

3.  Planning and development framework prepared for Mohali
Region and Panchkula along with the master plans for the
settlements falling in the region needs to be objectively
reviewed and synthesised and brought within the regional
planning framework prepared for the region.
 Uniform building bye-laws and development controls need
to be evolved and made applicable in the region.
 All the urban settlements falling in the region should have
uniform tariff for the services delivered along with the tax
structure.
 A High Powered Board comprising of all the stakeholders
needs to be constituted for ensuring effective decision
making and implementing Regional Authority
 A well defined strategy for the planning and development
of the rural and urban settlements needs to be put in
place in order to avoid speculation , haphazard and
unplanned development.
 All development works carried out should be within the
regional framework duly approved by the Regional High
Power Board.
 Critical and Eco-sensitive areas within the Region need to
be identified, preserved and promoted to make value
addition to the Region
 Unplanned and haphazard urbanisation within the Region
should be checked and controlled with a well defined
policy framework put in place
 All existing physical, economic and operational
barriers/roadblocks need to be identified and removed on
priority to create a seamless operational entity.
 Unhealthy competition and unnecessary duplication
among regional partners should be avoided

4.  Periphery Control Act needs to be objectively reviewed
and repealed to usher a new era of Regional growth and
development.
 Regional connectivity by railways needs to be improved in
order to reduce pressure and congestion on the road
network
 Air connectivity for the domestic travel with all states
needs to be improved along with international travel ,in
order to meet the large regional travel demand, due to
large number of NRI from the region besides reducing
pressure on GT Road and IG International Delhi Airport.
 A separate civil airport ( excluding the defence airport)
needs to be created to meet the traffic and export needs
of the region with large passenger and cargo handling
capacity.
 Large chunk of railway land available near the railway
station needs to be utilised to create a dry port for
exporting goods and mixed landuse development besides
creating facilities for the travellers
 Delhi – Mumbai – Ludhiana freight corridor also needs to
be extended to Chandigarh to facilitate the transportation
of goods for domestic use and export
 Mushroom growth of satellite towns needs to be
effectively regulated in order to avoid mushroom and
unregulated urbanisation.
 Cities need to be planned as compact entities in order to
reduce urban footprints, minimise travel and leave large
land for agriculture.
 A well defined hierarchy of settlements , both urban and
rural, needs to be evolved and defined as part of regional
planning

5.  Implementation of different Missions and Yojnas evolved
for the urban and rural areas need to be made integral
part of region planning and development strategy.
 Ru-urban mission need to be used for the planning and
development of rural settlements as part of regional
planning.
 73rd
and 74th Constitutional amendment must be used to
evolve a well- defined and well- structured management
and governance structure for the region.