Ram Niwas also announced that the Administration would work out the modalities to bring more LPG stations to the city. While one LPG station is already functional in Sector 34, another has been planned for Sector 51.

Chandigarh has more than 2,000 autorickshaws running on its roads and almost an equal number of them come to the city from its satellite towns of Panchkula and Mohali.

“The autorickshaws, which are run on petrol or diesel, are the major source of air pollution. The decision to replace them had been under consideration for quite some time. LPG-run autorickshaws will not only reduce the air pollution, but also be fuel efficient,” said a senior official of the UT Administration.

The ban imposed by the Administration on ferrying schoolchildren in autorickshaws, too, came into effect from January 1.

Ram Niwas also announced that the Administration was going to expedite the work on the 11 underpasses planned on Madhya Marg and Dakshin Marg. The two roads, which are considered lifelines of the city, remain clogged with heavy traffic round the clock. The work is being undertaken by the Chandigarh Housing Board. Though the plan was conceptualised over a year ago, it is still in the initial stages of implementation.