Housing Board to decide fate of Sector 53 scheme soon

The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) will soon decide the fate of the proposed self-financing housing scheme in Sector 53, which has been hanging fire for the past many years. Officials concerned said a final decision on the scheme would be taken by the Board of Directors of the CHB at a meeting to be held soon.

The CHB had received an overwhelming response to the demand survey for the proposed scheme, which was put on hold by the Administration in 2023.

Nearly 6,300 applications were received under the survey. These included nearly 1,000 applications for units specified for economically weaker sections (EWS) and the remaining for HIG and MIG units. Nearly 70 per cent applications in the second category were received for HIG units. The CHB was considering launching the scheme only after receiving adequate response from interested eligible persons as well as obtaining requisite approvals.

However, after the revision of the collector rates in the city, the CHB is in no mood to offer the flats at the original rates and decided to refund the money collected during the survey.

Considering a rise in property rates, the Board of Directors will take a final decision whether to launch or totally scrap the scheme, said officials. Keeping in view the future planning, the CHB has already got the environmental clearance renewed for the scheme.

For taking part in the demand survey, an applicant had to deposit an amount of Rs 10,000 each for HIG and MIG units and Rs 5,000 for EWS units as confirmation of their interest in the scheme. The amount was to be adjusted against the earnest money deposit (EMD) after the launch of the scheme. The withdrawal from further auction would result in the forfeiture of the entire amount.

The proposed scheme has 192 HIG units, 100 MIG houses and 80 flats for economically weaker sections (EWS).

To check the feasibility of the scheme, UT Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma, who is also CHB chairman, had ordered for a fresh demand survey. A similar survey was held in 2018 after the revival of the scheme.

In August 2023, then UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit had put on hold the General Housing Scheme, deeming it unnecessary. This led to the cancellation of Rs 200 crore tenders issued on August 2, 2023, for the construction of 372 flats on nine acres.

The prices in the earlier revived scheme were fixed at Rs1.65 crore for three-bedroom unit, Rs 1.40 crore for two-bedroom and Rs 55 lakh for two-bedroom (EWS) flat each. When the scheme was first introduced in 2018, the prices were considerably higher at Rs 1.8 crore, Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 95 lakh for the three categories, respectively. Only 178 applications were received for 492 flats available, after which the scheme was cancelled.

The last CHB scheme was floated in 2016 for 200 two-bedroom flats in Sector 51.

Chandigarh