Board may reduce number of EWS flats in Sec 53 scheme

With the flats for economically weaker sections (EWS) getting a lukewarm response in the demand survey, the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) is considering cutting down on their number in the proposed self-financing housing scheme in Sector 53 here.

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The CHB has planned 192 HIG units, 100 MIG houses and 80 EWS units in the scheme. Before going ahead with the project, the board carried out a demand survey from February 22 to March 3. Out of a total of 7,468 applications, only 1,118 were received for 80 EWS flats, while the remaining were for the HIG and MIG units.

According to sources, the CHB officials were now planning to reduce the number of EWS units in view of the poor response to this category. If the number of flats was scaled down, then a fresh layout for the scheme would be prepared and all permissions have to be taken afresh, which would further delay its launch, added the sources.

The proposed housing scheme was put on hold by the Administration in 2023. The CHB was considering launching the scheme only after receiving adequate response from interested eligible persons as well as obtaining requisite approvals.

In August 2023, then UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit had put on hold the 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.

The board had made efforts to revive the scheme, which was scrapped in 2018. The prices in the revived scheme were fixed at Rs 1.65 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 at Rs 1.8 crore, Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 95 lakh for the three categories, respectively. Only 178 applications were received for 492 flats available that time, after which the scheme was cancelled.

The last CHB scheme was floated in 2016 for 200 two-bedroom flats in Sector 51.