Mahapanchayat: 4 lakh CHB residents to discuss one-time policy

CHB resident federation will also approach MP Kirron Kher to invite the Union urban housing minister to the mahapanchayat

With UT administration not conceding to the demand of a one-time policy for need-based changes, the Residents’ Welfare Federation of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has decided to call a mahapanchayat of 4 lakh CHB residents.

The mahapanchayat is being called because the Chandigarh administration has not conceded to CHB residents’ demand of a one-time policy for need-based changes on Delhi model. (HT FILE PHOTO)

The federation will also approach MP Kirron Kher to invite the Union urban housing minister to this mahapanchayat.

President of the federation Nirmal Datt said that the administration’s decision had shocked the allottees: Once again, a blind eye has been turned to two intractable problems: excess coverage and encroachment that ail huge numbers of population. The most closed-minded administration has done it again and again since 2001,” said Datt.

“The most absurd thing is that the administration piously plans through a secretary-level committee to find an innovative solution, by itself rejecting the most innovative Delhi solution,” added Datt.

“If invited, we shall definitely present our case before the newly envisaged secretary committee, though we know from past experience that whatever this new committee suggests will be ignored by the architect’s office with great contempt,” said VK Nirmal, finance secretary of the federation.

“The Delhi solution is only a better version of the board’s annual penalty solution. Under the model, a mandatory structural security certificate ensures no harm in case of a seismic situation. One-time charges only replace the current annual charges plan because no regularisation of excess coverage inside/outside plot and no legal right over it will only let the current situation prevail till the time in not distant future when redevelopment of congested areas will restore by-laws and NBC, and all street view aberrations, and seismic threats will permanently disappear,” said Datt.

New board members

Meanwhile, Chandigarh BJP leader Poonam Sharma, state vice-president Surinder Bahga (architect) and chairman of the Chandigarh Resident Association Welfare Federation (CRAWFED), Hitesh Puri, have appointed the new non-official members of the CHB board. Their term will be of three years.