2008 UT employees housing scheme: As Chandigarh admn plans to move SC, employees union files caveat

Around 4,000 flats were to be built in Sectors 52, 53, and 56 by the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) for government employees as part of the 2008 UT employees’ housing scheme, which is one of the longest pending projects in the city

With the UT administration planning to move the Supreme Court (SC) against the Punjab and Haryana high court order to allot land at the 2008 collector rates for the employees’ self-financing housing scheme, the employees union has now filed a caveat before the apex court.

Chandigarh employees’ housing welfare society general secretary Dharamender Shastri said that the employees moved a caveat before the SC on July 22 and will fight for their rights till their last breath. (HT Photo)

A caveat is a caution or warning, giving notice to the court to not issue any grant or take a step without notice being given to the party lodging the caveat.

Around 4,000 flats were to be built in Sectors 52, 53, and 56 by the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) for government employees as part of the 2008 UT employees’ housing scheme, which is one of the longest pending projects in the city.

On May 30, the HC had directed the UT to construct the flats within a year, following which administration had decided to move the top court citing the financial loss of nearly ₹2,000 crore which it will have to bear if land is given at the 2008 collector rates.

A senior official of the UT administration said, “We have already hired lawyers who are preparing the draft to move the apex court. We will be moving the court in week’s time. It is not possible for us to construct the flats within a year, considering that floating of tenders will take around two to three months. Also, giving land at the collector rates of 2008 is not feasible, as we are going to suffer a huge financial loss,” the officer added.