Arrears mount to ₹56 crore, CHB to start issuing notices

Officials say many allottees have not been depositing ground rent, instalments and interest for several years.

With outstanding dues of those allotted commercial properties aggregating to a whopping ₹56.42 crore, the Chandigarh Housing Board has released a list of defaulters in a bid to recover the sum.

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Officials say many allottees have not been depositing ground rent, instalments and interest for several years. CHB chief executive officer Yashpal Garg said, “Ground rent and instalments are not being deposited regularly and arrears have been accumulating over the last few years. Now, we have stepped up efforts to recover the money.”

“We are in the process of issuing notices to defaulters. If they fail to deposit their dues within the stipulated time, it may lead to cancellation of allotment and finally resumption of properties,” he said.

Most defaulters have been alloted CHB properties in rehri markets and motor markets in different sectors, and the grain market, Sector 26 (see box). The highest amount due from a single allottee is ₹1.3 crore.

While the CHB will issue notices to all defaulters, allottees can also check the amount they owe on the housing board’s website. The outstanding dues for properties allotted under the Chandigarh Small Flat Scheme had mounted to ₹30 crore over the years. However, the CHB recently recovered ₹18 crore of the total outstanding rent from rehabilitation colonies located in Dhanas, Ram Darbar, Mauli Jagran, Sector 38, Sector 49 and Sector 56. In June, the CHB had imposed a 12% penalty on allottees who failed to deposit monthly rent under the scheme.