Chandigarh, Oct. 25 -- Newly appointed UT chief secretary H Rajesh Prasad has directed officials to expedite the preparation of the proposed Metro's detailed project report (DPR), stating that once it is ready, it will provide a clear picture of whether the project is a viable transport solution for the city. Prasad acknowledged that traffic congestion and parking remain major challenges in Chandigarh and directed municipal corporation officials to develop a detailed citywide parking strategy. Interacting with mediapersons on Friday, the chief secretary said that while Chandigarh is performing well in many areas, certain challenges need attention. On the Metro, Prasad noted that the DPR for the project has not yet been prepared, making it difficult to assess the project's feasibility at this stage. He, however, pointed out that the cost of constructing a Metro system is extremely high, making it essential to evaluate the expected ridership and financial sustainability before making a final decision. It's been nearly a year since UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria constituted an eight-member committee to examine the economic and financial feasibility of the Metro but no concrete progress has been made. The committee's members include the UT secretaries of urban planning and transport, the transport secretaries of Punjab and Haryana, the administrative secretary of housing and urban development (Punjab), the administrative secretary of town and country planning (Haryana), and the UT chief architect. The committee has since held three meetings, and Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) has already submitted its reports. However, these remain pending with the UT administration, with no action taken so far. Last November, Union minister of power and housing and urban affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, remarked during a meeting that Chandigarh's ridership projections did not seem to justify a Metro network and suggested alternatives such as pod taxis. In June this year, RITES reaffirmed the Metro's economic viability in its updated report but was asked to re-examine its ridership estimate of 11.3 lakh passengers annually, during a meeting chaired by then Haryana additional chief secretary (transport) Ashok Khemka. In April, the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs informed the Parliament that no DPR for the Tricity Metro had been submitted to the Centre. With cost estimates ranging between Rs.25,000 crore and Rs.30,000 crore-depending on whether the network is underground or elevated-the project's fate now hinges largely on financial feasibility. On October 7, Chandigarh Member of Parliament Manish Tewari urged Khattar to personally intervene and push forward the Chandigarh Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) project as a fully funded central initiative....