2 years on, Admn plans residential plots at IT Park

Two years after scrapping a general housing scheme and a government housing project at the IT Park, the UT Administration is now considering carving out residential plots there.

According to officials, Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria recently directed the UT Chief Architect to explore the possibility of developing plots for sale at the IT Park, instead of a group housing scheme.

In September 2023, the UT Administration had scrapped a general housing scheme and a government housing project at the IT Park after these failed to receive the necessary environmental clearance. The general housing scheme, which was almost finalised, was to come up on 16.6 acres at an estimated cost of Rs 643 crore, while the government flats were planned on 6.73 acres. The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) had earmarked 123 acres for the housing projects, a five-star hotel, a hospital and a school at the IT Park.

With regard to the much-delayed general housing scheme in Sector 53, the UT Administrator directed the Chief Architect to explore ways to divide the 8.975 acres allotted to the CHB into two pockets, of which one could be sold to private developers. Kataria further directed the officer to explore the possibility of enhancing the floor area ratio (FAR), height of building, density etc, to make the scheme financially attractive as well as affordable, especially for the EWS category.

The CHB had planned to construct 372 flats in the proposed scheme. As per the tentative cost worked out by the CHB, a three-bedroom flat (HIG) was to cost Rs 2.3 crore, 39.39% higher than the earlier proposed price of Rs 1.65 crore. A two-bedroom flat (MIG) was to cost Rs 1.97 crore, up 40.71% from the previous proposed rate of Rs 1.4 crore, and a two-room flat (EWS) about Rs 74 lakh, 34.34% costlier than the previous tentative cost of Rs 55 lakh.

The CHB had revised the rates after the implementation of new collector rates in the city on April 1 this year.

Government rental accommodation

The Administrator also directed the CHB to explore the feasibility of constructing flats on the land recently handed over to it in Sector 54 for government rental accommodation for employees of the UT Administration. He also directed the CHB to work out the financial modalities in such a way that rent equal to the HRA will be paid to the CHB.

The Administrator asked the Estate Department to frame a policy regarding Economic Weaker Sections (EWS). The policy will define the eligibility conditions for allotment of flats in the EWS category.

In the absence of such policy, neither the CHB nor the Municipal Corporation (MC) can float a housing scheme or auction land for housing projects.