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Chandigarh Housing Board to launch Sector 53 housing scheme in April
Having finalised the scheme’s brochure, Chandigarh Housing Board plans on starting construction of flats in June this year and hand over possession to allottees in April 2026
The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) is all set to roll out its Sector-53 general housing scheme that was scrapped in 2018 owing to poor response from public over steep prices.
Having finalised the scheme’s brochure, the board plans on starting construction of flats in June this year and hand over possession to allottees in April 2026.
As per the plan, the board will offer 340 flats in three categories — 192 three-bedroom, 100 two-bedroom and 48 two-bedroom EWS flats.
The flats will be offered for ₹1.65 crore for three-bedroom, ₹1.40 crore for two-bedroom and ₹55 lakh for two-bedroom EWS.
“The brochure is ready and we will be launching the scheme in the last week of April. The estimates for construction are being prepared and it is expected to begin in June this year. Possession will be given in April 2026,” said Yashpal Garg, chief executive officer (CEO), CHB.
When the scheme was first floated in 2018, the three-bedroom flat was offered for as high as ₹1.8 crore, two-bedroom flat for ₹1.5 crore and one-bedroom flat for ₹95 lakh. As a result, the scheme, which was touted as the most expensive public housing project in the city’s history, received only 178 applications against the 492 flats on offer.
Even after the board slashed the proposed rates by 15% to attract more buyers, the response did not improve, leading to the project’s scrapping.
Earnest fee slashed
CHB has slashed the earnest amount, which used to be 10% of the total flat cost. Now, for the three-bedroom flat, the earnest has been fixed at ₹3 lakh, ₹2 lakh for the two-bedroom flat and ₹1 lakh for the EWS flat.
The flats will be allotted on self-finance basis under which the allottee will be required to make 100% payment in five bi-yearly equated instalments, along with interest at 12% per annum from the date of issuance of acceptance-cum-demand letter.
Only people whose spouse or minor children don’t own any residential plot/house, in full or in part, in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula are eligible for the scheme. However, if the individual share of a person in such a property is less than 100 square yards, they can also apply for the flats.
Reservations under the scheme
As per the brochure, 5% flats will be reserved for officials of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh who may retire within three years, besides 1% for CHB employees.
A total of 39 flats will be reserved for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe residents of Chandigarh. Another 5% will be reserved in favour of Other Backward Classes (OBCs). SCs, STs and OBCs belonging to other states/Union territories are not eligible for the reservation.
5% flats will be allotted in favour of serving defence personnel and pensioners/family pensioners of defence forces.
Also, 5% flats will also be reserved for persons with benchmark disabilities, with appropriate priority to female applicants, as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
