Punjab MLAs a step closer to owning flats in New Chd

Nitin Jain

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 3

Finally, the dream of Punjab MLAs to build their own flats in New Chandigarh, close to the PGI, has come true with the payment of Rs 4.94 crore for the 2.5-acre residential site allotted to their society in July last year.

The Punjab Legislators’ Cooperative House Building Society had defaulted on the payment of the first instalment even after being given repeated extensions before finally paying 15 per cent of the total amount of the land recently. For the default in payment, the legislators had to pay a penal interest of Rs 56.31 lakh at the rate of 18 per cent from January to July (six months) and 15 per cent from October 2016 to January 2017 (three months).

With this, the 112 MLAs and MPs of the ruling Congress and the Opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) can start building their luxurious apartments at the site meant for “group housing-4 multi-storeyed flats”.

The development assumes significance as the Punjab legislators had earlier failed twice to realise their dream of having their own house in Chandigarh’s vicinity. Not only had they failed to get their dream homes in the controversial Tata Camelot project in Kansal despite transferring their 21.2 acres land and Rs 82.5 lakh each in 2007, but their society of over 40 sitting and former MLAs was duped by two land developers on the pretext of selling them land at Sector 113 and 114 in Mohali in 2014.

Giving the go-ahead to the much-awaited group housing project of the MLAs, the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, approved the acceptance of late payment by the society while chairing a meeting of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), of which he is the Chairman, in Chandigarh on Friday.

The society was allotted the site in the sprawling Eco City Phase 2 (Extension) by GMADA after the approval of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on July 21, 2016, following which the allottee was issued the LoI and asked to pay 15 per cent (Rs 3.81 crore plus Rs 50.82 lakh as 2 per cent cancer and drug addiction treatment infrastructure cess) of the total allotment price, which works out to be Rs 25.41 crore till November 26 last.

However, the society failed to make the payment and sought time till January 24 but still it could not deposit the first instalment.

Citing the pre-occupation of members in the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections, the society president sought more time and the Chief Minister allowed it giving them the last chance till July 24 when finally, the payment was made, a top government functionary told The Tribune here today.