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Decades of political patronage shield 22,000 building violations in Chandigarh
Acting on the Punjab and Haryana high court directive, the CHB launched a demolition drive over the past 10 days across Sectors 41-A, 41-D, 45-A, 45-C, 45-D, 46, 47-C, 39-B, and 29
An enforcement drive against long-pending building violations in Chandigarh has exposed the deep-rooted political patronage that has allowed illegal constructions to thrive for over 30 years. Officials admitted that while the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has nearly 15,000 violations on government land and 7,000 cases of misuse in industrial and residential sectors, consistent action was repeatedly stalled by political interference.
“These are not new violations. Most cases date back nearly three decades. We have consistently issued notices, but political intervention prevented strict enforcement,” a senior UT official said, adding that current notices are a culmination of a long-pending process rather than fresh action.
Acting on the Punjab and Haryana high court directive, the CHB launched a demolition drive over the past 10 days across Sectors 41-A, 41-D, 45-A, 45-C, 45-D, 46, 47-C, 39-B, and 29. The move has triggered a political row. On April 8, mayor Saurabh Joshi and councillors walked out of a municipal corporation meeting to hold a dharna in Sector 45, forcing a temporary halt to the drive.
HC mandates action amid safety concerns
UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria clarified on April 12 that the administration has no room for discretion. Terming the issue “highly sensitive,” Kataria revealed the crackdown follows a contempt case filed by a resident, Prabha Sharma of Sector 41. Sharma and the local Residents Welfare Association (RWA) had moved the court alleging that the CHB failed to comply with a March 2023 order.
While the court had originally directed the CHB to engage with residents and guide them on permissible alternatives for structural safety, the RWA alleged the board instead issued coercive notices demanding deposits, ranging from ₹2 lakh to ₹4 lakh, for demolition costs. “Non-compliance would amount to contempt of court,” Kataria said, adding that while demolitions are undesirable, additional floors beyond permissible limits pose grave safety risks.
The crackdown comes despite the administrator’s February approval to revive the “need-based changes” policy. Under those modified rules, internal changes and additional doors are permitted if certified safe, and coverage limits were increased from 50% to 75%. However, officials clarified that most violations on government land currently being targeted do not qualify for this policy as they constitute major encroachments beyond the building’s original skyline.
Residents, MP demand wider regularisation
The crackdown faces stiff resistance from the CHB Residents’ Federation. Chairman Nirmal Dutt called the drive a “gross injustice,” arguing that residents have sought regularisation for 40 years without success. Member of Parliament Manish Tewari also criticised the move, advocating a “pragmatic policy” to regularise need-based changes beyond the current scope. “Demolishing homes is not a solution. A sustainable, long-term policy for regularisation is the need of the hour,” Tewari said, adding that he has raised the issue in Parliament.
CHB officials, however, maintain that the current action is a matter of immediate structural integrity. A 2023 survey of Sectors 39, 41, and 45 found that ground-floor load-bearing walls had been removed and upper floors added despite inadequate foundations. The high court has directed the CHB to recover the costs of demolition and restoration from allottees on a pro-rata basis.
The matter of the contempt petition is scheduled for its next hearing on May 19.
