CHB plans 1,000-flat project on 32 acres in Sector 54

Yet to launch its self-financing general housing scheme in Sector 53, the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has planned another project in Sector 54.

The UT Estate Office has reclaimed nearly 10-12 acres of government land, which was under illegal occupation of shopkeepers at the nearly 40-year-old furniture market in Sectors 53-54. The demolition drive was conducted on July 21.

According to officials, the new housing project was likely to come up over 32 acres in Sector 54. More than 1,000 flats are likely to be constructed under the scheme.

During a recent meeting, the UT Administrator asked the CHB officials to prepare a plan for the scheme, said the officials, while adding that the board is in the process of hiring an architect to prepare a design and it will take nearly six months to finalise the scheme.

Meanwhile, the CHB is planning to launch its much-delayed housing scheme in Sector 53 before Diwali this year.

The officials said brochures would be prepared soon after getting approval from the Board of Directors. Before launching the scheme, the environmental clearance would also be obtained, following which an application will be submitted to the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) for approval.

Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria had given approval to the housing scheme with revised rates. It had been hanging fire for the past several years.

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) is priced at Rs 1.97 crore, up 40.71% from the earlier rate of Rs 1.4 crore. Similarly, a two-room flat (EWS) will cost about Rs 74 lakh, costlier by 34.34% than the tentative cost of Rs 55 lakh fixed earlier.

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

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

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.