Candidates for need-based changes in Chandigarh Housing Board houses

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, May 19

Ahead of June 1 Lok Sabha elections, owners of about 65,000 houses of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) today got assurance for getting bylaws amended by bringing ordinance or law in the Parliament for allowing need-based changes by the BJP as well as the Congress candidates.

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The demand to allow need-based changes in the houses started to be raised from 2010. In 2012, in a Sector 40 public rally, Bansal had promised to provide one-time settlement solution to us, but it could not be done. Then, Kher promised to resolve it in three months during 2014 elections, and to provide one-time settlement during the 2019 polls, but on both occasions no action was taken. Even though harassment through violation notices has reduced, people will decide for whom to votes. Rajat Malhotra, Chairman, Chandigarh Residents Welfare Federation

The two spoke at separate sessions at the Chandigarh Resident Association of Welfare Federation’s (CRAWFED) interaction event. However, despite promises, the issue could not be resolved even in the last 10 years’ rule of the BJP MP Kirron Kher or before that in the time of former Congress’ MP Pawan Bansal.

Rajat Malhotra, chairman, Chandigarh Residents Welfare Federation, said, “The demand to allow need-based changes in the houses started to be raised from 2010. In 2012, in a Sector 40 public rally, Bansal had promised to provide one-time settlement solution to us, but it could not be done. Then, Kher promised to resolve it in three months during 2014 elections, and to provide one-time settlement during the 2019 polls, but on both occasions no action was taken. Even though harassment through violation notices has reduced, people will decide for whom to vote.”

BJP candidate Sanjay Tandon told the gathering at Press Club, “There is a need of amendment in rules. Delhi’s BJP MP Vijay Kumar Malhotra had devised a solution to this problem in 1999 for the people of Delhi by offering a one-time settlement by revising bylaws. I give this guarantee to people to implement it in the city.”

On transfer of flats too, Tandon said bylaws will be amended. On share-wise property issue, either ordinance will be brought or the Supreme Court will be approached.

He added that Metro has been planned not just for tricity, but for quadcity, including Mullanpur. “We will soon get its foundation stone laid from Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said. On regularising contractual employee, the former BJP president said UT has one disadvantage that some changes like this have to be implemented in all UTs.

He promised domicile to residents. On high charge of converting leasehold property to freehold, the BJP leader said the Centre often cited financial viability in all UTs, so he can give 100 per cent confirmation on the matter, while promising to fight like public’s advocate on it.

In a separate session, questioning failure of the BJP in the last 10 years in regard with the CHB issue, Tewari, said, “We provided one-time settlement at the time of Congress CM in Delhi Sheila Dikshit. We will bring a law for it and bring amnesty scheme to fully resolve the issue.”

On share-wise property issue, the Congress leader felt the UT administration did not defend the case properly. Instead, it went on to implement it even beyond Sector 31 (non-heritage sectors). The administration gave an absolutely false declaration in the court. He said he will resolve the matter. On Metro, he said it was MP Kirron Kher who opposed it, and thus the project was delayed.

Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc candidate took a dig at his rival saying Tandon has no confidence in him and has not joined him for debate since 21 days. “Answer one question, name one major work that you have done which provided relief to people,” he added.