Fin Secy rejects extra FAR in CHB houses

Ramkrishan Upadhyay 

Tribune news service

Chandigarh, July 29 

Rejecting the decision of the Chandigarh Hosing Board (CHB) for giving additional FAR and coverage area in the CHB houses, Finance Secretary Sarbjit Singh has asked the CHB Chairman, Maninder Singh, to clarify to the public regarding the decision. 

In another letter to the CHB Chairman within a month, the Finance Secretary-cum-Chief Administrator, UT Administration, said residents of the city were having general perception that the CHB had increased FAR and the coverage area in the houses which the Board could not allow on its own, this required clarification. 

The Finance Secretary made it clear that zoning, FAR, ground coverage architectural control were within the purview of the Administration that was further bound by parameters laid down in the Master Plan 2030, which was notified after the consent of the Government of India which bars any increase in FAR.

In the first letter, the Finance Secretary urged the CHB Chairman to withdraw the orders for giving additional FAR and coverage area in the CHB houses. Despite that letter, the CHB continued to announce giving more relaxations to the CHB houses. 

The CHB in the order issued last month allowed covering 70 per cent area from 60 per cent in independent houses situated in Sectors 40, 41 and from 43 to 47. The order says relaxation should not exceed 70 per cent ground coverage and the floor area ratio (FAR) of two.