7 years on, Sector 53 housing scheme may be back on track
The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has decided to conduct a demand survey for a self-financing housing scheme in Sector 53 here. The survey will be held from February 22 to March 3.
According to officials, the demand survey will be conducted for allotment of flats without any commitment. The CHB will launch the scheme only after receiving adequate response from interested eligible persons and after obtaining requisite approvals.
If launched, the scheme will have 192 HIG units, 100 MIG units and 80 units for economically weaker sections (EWS). The applicants will be required to deposit an amount of Rs 10,000 each for HIG and MIG units and Rs 5,000 for EWS unit as confirmation of interest in the scheme. The amount will be adjusted in the earnest money deposit (EMD) at the time of launching of the scheme.
In case the applicant on the launch of the scheme decides not to participate further, the entire deposited amount will be forfeited.
During a meeting held recently, officials made a presentation for the revival of the scheme before UT Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma, who is also the CHB chairman. Verma had asked the officials to conduct a fresh demand survey for the scheme. The board had conducted a similar survey in 2018.
After carrying out the demand survey, a final presentation will be made before Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria.
After more than seven years, the CHB is considering resuming the stalled scheme. In August 2023, former UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit had put on hold the Sector 53 General Housing Scheme, deeming it unnecessary. This led to the cancellation of Rs 200 crore tenders issued on August 2, 2023, for the construction of 372 flats on nine acres.
In August 2023, the board had revived its Sector 53 General Housing Scheme, which had been scrapped in 2018. While the scheme was not officially launched, the CHB floated tenders worth Rs 200 crore for the construction of flats. The tender offered a total of 372 flats across three categories —192 three-bedroom flats, 100 two-bedroom units and 80 two-bedroom EWS houses.
The prices in the revived scheme were fixed at Rs1.65 crore for three-bedroom unit, Rs 1.40 crore for two-bedroom and Rs 55 lakh for two-bedroom (EWS) flat each. When the scheme was first introduced in 2018, the prices were considerably higher — Rs 1.8 crore, Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 95 lakh for the three categories, respectively. The scheme initially drew lacklustre response owing to the exorbitant rates. Only 178 applications were received for 492 flats available, after which the scheme was cancelled.
The last CHB scheme was floated in 2016 for 200 two-bedroom flats in Sector 51 for Rs 69 lakh each. Since then, no new project has been launched.
