Chandigarh Housing Board Sector-53 housing scheme to face delay
Even though the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) received a promising response to its Sector 53 housing scheme, chief executive officer (CEO) Ajay Chagti has now written to the engineering department to reduce the number of flats under the economically weaker section (EWS) category.
During the 10-day demand survey, which began on February 22 and concluded on March 3, a total of 7,468 applications were received against 372 flats across three categories. For three-bedroom HIG units, 5,081 applications were submitted for 192 flats, while two-bedroom MIG units received 1,269 applications for 100 flats. The EWS category saw 1,118 applications for 80 flats.
A senior officer of the CHB stated that the launch of the housing scheme would be delayed by seven to eight months. “If we reduce the number of EWS flats, we will have to revise the entire layout plan. Also, we need to obtain approvals from RERA and the Pollution Control Board,” he said.
Despite repeated attempts, CEO Ajay Chagti could not be reached for comments.
The survey was conducted to assess whether there was sufficient interest to proceed with the scheme.
This is in stark contrast to only 178 applications for 492 flats when the scheme was first floated in 2018. The low response, primarily due to steep prices, had ultimately led to the scheme getting dropped.
This time around, the 7,468 applicants have deposited a fee of ₹10,000 for HIG and MIG units, and ₹5,000 for EWS unit confirming their interest, which will be adjusted in the earnest money deposit (EMD) when the scheme is launched.
In case the applicant decides not to participate further after the scheme’s launch, the whole amount will be forfeited.
The demand survey was conducted on the directions of UT chief secretary Rajeev Verma, who is also the chairman of the CHB, after board officers gave a presentation for the scheme’s revival on January 17.
As the board had last conducted a similar survey only in 2018, they were asked to conduct one afresh.
Scheme scrapped previously amid poor response
The scheme was first introduced in 2018, with the three-bedroom flat being offered for as high as ₹1.8 crore, two-bedroom flat for ₹1.5 crore and one-bedroom flat for ₹95 lakh.
Owing to the exorbitant rates, the response was lackluster, forcing the board to scrap the scheme.
Struggling to justify its existence, the board revived the scheme in February 2023 with lower prices— ₹1.65 crore, ₹1.40 crore and ₹55 lakh, respectively, for three-bedroom, two-bedroom and two-bedroom EWS flats.
However, former UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit put the scheme on hold on August 3, 2023, citing there was no requirement for it. Consequently, CHB had cancelled the ₹200-crore tenders floated on August 2 for the construction of 340 flats on nine acres.
But hopes for the scheme’s revival were rekindled after Purohit’s successor Gulab Chand Kataria, in November 2024, instructed CHB to submit an updated presentation, leading to the fresh demand survey.
