Former Union minister and ex-MP Pawan Kumar Bansal has urged UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria to defer the administration’s proposal for high-rise, high-density housing development in Chandigarh and on vacant village land in its periphery.
In a statement, Bansal cautioned that the move could fundamentally alter the city’s character, describing Chandigarh as ‘one of independent India’s greatest urban experiments’ built on principles of balance, openness and greenery.
Bansal said that residents have only demanded regularisation of need-based changes in Chandigarh Housing Board flats and increased floor area ratio (FAR) in industrial areas for better space utilisation, and not large-scale densification of the city.
He flagged concerns over infrastructure, stating that Chandigarh—originally planned for a population of around five lakh—now houses over 12 lakh residents. Warning of the consequences, Bansal said high-rise construction could lead to water shortages, drainage failures, parking chaos and worsening traffic gridlock.
He suggested that the pressures of urbanisation should instead be absorbed by neighbouring towns like Mohali, Zirakpur and Panchkula, which have already expanded significantly, allowing Chandigarh to focus on improving the quality of life for its existing residents.