Board to launch housing scheme before Diwali

The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) is planning to launch its much-delayed general housing scheme in Sector 53 before Diwali this year.

According to sources privy to the development, after getting approval from the Board of Directors, brochures would be prepared. Before launching the scheme, an environmental clearance would be obtained following which an application would be submitted with the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) for approval.

Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria had recently given approval to the self-financing housing scheme, which had been hanging fire for the past several years, with revised rates.

As per the tentative cost worked out by the CHB, a three-bedroom flat (HIG) will cost Rs 2.3 crore, which will be 39.39% higher than the earlier proposed price of Rs 1.65 crore. A two-bedroom flat (MIG) will cost Rs 1.97 crore, up 40.71% from the previous proposed rate of Rs 1.4 crore. Similarly, a two-room flat (EWS) will cost about Rs 74 lakh, which will be costlier by 34.34% than the tentative cost of Rs 55 lakh fixed earlier.

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

The demand survey for the proposed scheme received an overwhelming response, with as many as 7,468 applications coming in. These included 5,081 applications for 3 BHK units, 1,269 for 2BHK and 1,118 for EWS flats. The 10-day survey was carried out from February 22 to March 3 this year. Nearly 68% applications were received for HIG units only.

The proposed scheme has 192 HIG units, 100 MIG houses and 80 EWS flats. The flats would be constructed on nearly 9 acres in Sector 53.

In August 2023, then UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit had put the scheme on hold, 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 last CHB scheme was floated in 2016 for 200 two-bedroom flats in Sector 51.