Chandigarh, Jan. 9 -- UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Thursday threw a spanner in the Metro plans for the Tricity, stating that the city cannot be dug up for a project thatmay not be financially viable. Speaking during a 'Meet the Press' event at the Chandigarh Press Club, Kataria said he had asked the engineering department to study the Metro models in other cities and assess their profitability before any approval is considered. The Metro was first proposed in 2009 to address the rising traffic congestion in the Tricity. A detailed project report (DPR) was prepared in 2012 but the project ran into multiple hurdles over the years. Among its most vocal critics was former Member of Parliament Kirron Kher, who too had stated in 2014 that uprooting the whole city for the project was not viable. The Union home ministry had formally rejected the proposal in 2017, stating that the required peak-hour ridership of 40,000-70,000 would not be reached before 2051 After years in cold storage, the Metro plan was revived in August 2021, when the UT administration decided to commission a fresh Comprehensive Mobility Plan through Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES). He added that he has also taken up the matter with Union minister for housing and urban affairs Manohar Lal Khattar to explore alternative solutions, including improving regional connectivity by linking neighbouring cities from outside and connecting them to Chandigarh. The administrator said the priority would be to ensure that city roads are not excavated for the Metro project. Kataria pointed out that in several cities where Metro services have been introduced in recent years, the projects have turned into major financial burdens. "A careful and detailed study is essential before taking any final decision," he said. The administrator also spoke on a volley of other issues. Citing the recent Indore incident, where several persons had died after consuming contaminated water, Kataria said Chandigarh's drinking water and sewer pipelines would be replaced. He added that work would be carried out in a phased manner and municipal officials have been directed to initiate the process. When asked why vaccinated, healthy and friendly stray dogs are being captured in inhuman and 'illegal' ways by the MC, and kept at their Animal Birth Control (ABC) unit at Raipur Kalan, Makhanmajra, a place that reportedly has a disease outbreak, he said he'll look into the matter. Kataria also said drug abuse has emerged as a serious problem in Punjab. He said he has visited villages where people and various organisations are coming forward to help free children from drug addiction. Efforts are being made to involve more people in this campaign, he said. While discussing issues concerning the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) House, the administrator said that he is in favour of extending the mayor's tenure. "One-year is too short for the meaningful development of a city. A mayor does not get sufficient time to work effectively. A significant part of the term is spent in floating tenders, which often takes nearly six months. By the time projects begin, the tenure is almost over, causing disruptions in development," he said. Kataria said that various models from different states and regions are being studied to evolve a concrete proposal on the mayor's tenure. In some states, the mayor is elected directly by the people while in others, the tenure ranges from one year to two-and-a-half years or even five years. Once a consensus is reached on a suitable model, the proposal will be taken up with the Union ministry of home affairs and formally submitted. "The model approved by the Centre will be implemented in Chandigarh," Kataria said. Referring to alleged horse-trading practices during mayoral elections, Kataria said a transparent "raise your hand" system has been introduced. This, he said, would at least let a party know which of its councillors are not toeing the party line. On an anti-defection law, Kataria said, "If there is any change in the anti-defection law, it will not be limited to Chandigarh but will apply across the country. Such a proposal can only be approved by the Central government," he said. Currently, none of the civic bodies have an anti-defection law. Chandigarh will be electing a new mayor by month-end. This mayor will be the last of the current MC House, where councillors are elected for a period of five years. When asked if nominated members in the House would be given voting rights, Kataria said, "Never. They are respectable individuals whose opinions and subject knowledge can be utilised, but they should not be drawn into active politics. Their role should be limited to providing constructive inputs and expertise."...