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Chandigarh admn’s employee housing scheme will be revived: Purohit
Addressing media, the Chandigarh administrator said if employees agree to accept the flats as per the current collector rates, the administration will revive the scheme
Two days after the UT administration decided to scrap the 2008 Self-Financing Employee Housing Scheme, terming it unviable, UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit on Friday said the scheme will be revived.
“If employees agree to accept the flats as per the current collector rates, we will revive the scheme,” said Purohit while addressing a press conference to list out the Union territory’s achievements.
On a question that the administration had already submitted an affidavit before the Punjab and Haryana high court, stating it will not go ahead with the housing scheme as it was unviable, Purohit said, “I am the administrator and will give another affidavit.”
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 scheme that has faced several roadblocks since its launch 16 years ago. The court is scheduled to hear the matter again on March 13.
Responding to a question on the spike in flat rates during the scheme’s pendency, Purohit assured that the administration will work out an affordable housing scheme: “We will not launch a general housing scheme, but will surely revive the housing scheme for UT employees.”
Terming the administrator’s press address a political stunt, Dr BP Yadav, president of UT Employees Housing Welfare Society, said, “The administration has cheated the employees. It should withdraw its affidavit submitted before the high court. We will be holding a meeting in this regard.”
The project comprised 252 3BHK flats with servant quarters, 168 2BHK flats with servant quarters, 3,066 1BHK flats and 444 single-room flats for Group D employees.
A draw of lots was held in 2010, in which 3,930 employees among 7,911 applicants were selected. They had then deposited around ₹57 crore with the CHB under the scheme.
While during the launch of the scheme in 2008, UT had offered 3BHK flats for ₹34.70 lakh, 2BHK flats for ₹24.30 lakh, 1BHK flats for ₹13.53 lakh and single-room flats for ₹5.75 lakh; their prices have since jumped to ₹2.08 crore; ₹1.85 crore; ₹99 lakh and ₹68 lakh, respectively, making them unaffordable for the applicants, many of whom have even passed away or retired in the past 16 years.
‘Will take Chandigarh to Top 5 in cleanliness’
Highlighting the achievements of the UT administration in the past two and a half years, Purohit said, “We have made achievements in all departments, but my focus is to bring Chandigarh in the Top 5 in the Swachh Survekshan rankings. This year, we jumped from 66th rank to 11th rank. My team is doing good work.”
Regarding the upcoming integrated garbage processing plant in Dadumajra, he said, “The new plant will solve the garbage processing problems for the next 50 years. Tendering for the same is in process.”
“Chandigarh has been ranked the best UT in energy efficiency index and mobility sharing. It secured the first rank in the country in school education, and is the best UT in crime and criminal network tracking system,” Purohit emphasised.
“As far as finance is concerned, Chandigarh has received more funds every year. The allocation was ₹5,186 crore in 2020-21, which increased to ₹5,382 crore in 2022-23. Then, it was ₹6,087 crore in 2023-24, while it has reached ₹6,513 crore in 2024-25,” he stated.
Out of the total 79 flagship schemes of the Union government, Purohit noted, “As many as 69 schemes are fully utilised and exhausted, while the remaining 10 schemes are likely to be completed by the end of March.”
“By 2030, Chandigarh will also become the first model solar city in the country,” Purohit asserted.
