E-Paper
AAP slams BJP, Congress over 25-year delay on Chandigarh Housing Board
AAP Chandigarh incharge Jarnail Singh said that the issue has remained unresolved for nearly 25 years, with successive governments failing to provide a permanent and clear policy
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday launched an attack on both the BJP and the Congress, alleging their failure to resolve the long-pending issue of “need based changes” in Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) houses, despite being in power for over two decades.
Addressing a press conference, AAP Chandigarh incharge Jarnail Singh said that the issue has remained unresolved for nearly 25 years, with successive governments failing to provide a permanent and clear policy. He was accompanied by party president Vijay Pal, observer Gurpreet Singh GP, former mayor Kuldeep Kumar, and general secretary Sunny Aulakh.
Singh pointed out that while Congress leader Manish Tewari currently represents Chandigarh as member of parliament, the local administration is under BJP’s control. “Despite this, residents continue to suffer due to policy paralysis and administrative confusion,” he said, adding that the issue has persisted due to repeated changes in rules over the years.
He alleged that inconsistent regulations have only compounded the problem. “At one point, certain constructions are declared legal, and later the same structures are termed illegal. Objections are raised arbitrarily, sometimes over balconies, at other times over upper floors or glass enclosures, leaving residents in constant uncertainty,” Singh said.
The criticism comes in the wake of a demolition drive carried out by CHB officials in Sector 45-D earlier in the day. AAP leaders reached the site to protest against the action, terming it unjust and anti-people. During the protest, former mayor Kuldeep Kumar, general secretary Sunny Aulakh, and minority cell president Sadab Rathi were detained by the police. The party condemned the detentions, calling them a “suppression of democratic rights.”
AAP further accused both BJP and Congress of failing to honour their promises made between 2018 and 2022. Singh said that assurances such as the introduction of a “one-time regularisation scheme” and a “no penalty policy” were never implemented. “instead, residents continue to be burdened with charges of ₹200 per square foot along with GST,” he added.
The party maintained that the absence of a consistent policy has led to arbitrary and selective enforcement by authorities, disproportionately impacting middle-class families. “For 25 years, people have been misled by shifting rules and unclear guidelines. There is still no transparent or uniform framework,” Singh said.
Demanding immediate intervention, AAP called upon the administration to introduce a one-time comprehensive solution to the issue of “need based changes.” The party urged authorities to regularise existing constructions, provide relief in penalties, halt ongoing demolition drives, and implement uniform and transparent regulations applicable to all residents.
The issue of need-based alterations in CHB housing has long been a contentious one in Chandigarh, affecting thousands of residents who have made structural modifications over the years to accommodate growing family needs.
