Chandigarh employees’ housing scheme: CHB, urban planning dept to iron out differences

The urban planning department has so far not accepted the fresh architectural proposals for the scheme, the main objection being to the planned high-rise buildings

To break the deadlock over the new design proposals for the government employees’ housing scheme, Chandigarh Housing Board and the urban planning department will hold a meeting on Wednesday.

The urban planning department has so far not accepted the fresh architectural proposals for the scheme, it has been learnt, the main objection being to the planned high-rise buildings.

In order to reduce the rates of flats for the scheme, CHB hired a consultancy, which prepared new architectural plans for all possible options. Costing will be done once the design is finalised.

Currently, CHB is working on two options: a seven-storey or a 10-storey housing block.

“The latter will reduce the land needed for the scheme. As major cost of the project is because of the high price of land, reduction in land requirement will bring down the flats’ cost for applicants. But, so far, the planning department hasn’t agreed to it,” said a CHB official, requesting anonymity.

The process to reassess and revise the cost of the project started after the August 19 meeting between the UT administration, employee representatives and the ministry of home affairs officials. The meeting was chaired by the Union home secretary. It was decided that the calculation of rates be made again for different categories of flats by applying various factors, such as floor area ratio, collector rate and plotted area, in consultation with the petitioners in the court case filed by the affected employees.

Dr Dharminda, the representative and petitioner on behalf of the employees, said: “We have written to the UT adviser, requesting him to direct CHB to speed up the process of assessing revised prices. CHB had sought two weeks, but even after more than a month and a half, no information has been provided to us.”

THE PROJECT: A LONG WAIT

CHB was to build around 4,000 flats for government employees in Sectors 52, 53 and 56 as part of a scheme launched in 2008

A draw of lots was held in 2010, in which 3,930 employees among 7,827 applicants were selected. They had then deposited around ₹57 crore

Later, the scheme was shelved, but revived after the employees took up the matter with MP Kirron Kher

But with the ministry of home affairs telling the administration to transfer the land to the CHB at the current collector rates, the prices shot up

From ₹5.76 lakh to ₹34.7 lakh, depending on the flat category (A-D), the prices reached ₹50 lakh to ₹2.08 crore

The employees then moved the HC alleging that the CHB was charging multiple times the initial price