CHB puts Sector 41-A duplex house allottees on final notice

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, September 28

Coming down heavily on illegal constructions carried out in duplex houses at Sector 41-A, the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has directed the allottees to remove the violations and rectify their units within 10 days, failing which a demolition drive will be undertaken at the risk and cost of the persons concerned.

In a public notice issued to the violators, the CHB has stated that a demolition drive to remove unauthorised constructions/violations in the duplex houses at Sector 41-A would be carried out in compliance with the order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The CHB says the public notice should be treated as a notice under Section 15 of the Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulations) Act – 1952.

Further, in compliance with the HC order, the CHB had constituted a committee of technical experts to survey 628 duplex flats at Sector 41-A to check structural stability and violations. The committee has observed that most of the allottees have not yet removed the violations despite clear instructions. Based on the findings of the survey, notices were issued to the allottees along with “build-up plans” indicating unauthorised constructions, which are to be removed.

After the survey, the CHB has summarised the unauthorised constructions having serious structural stability issues as those ground floor units where blatant violations have been made by way of removing essential load bearing walls and those first floor dwelling units where additional storey at the third floor level have been raised as the existing foundations have not been designed to withstand the load of additional storey.

Besides, those first floor dwelling units where construction over the cantilever portion at the first/second floor have been made/where construction has been made at the second floor level, fully covered, thus loading the 9″x9″ column that has been designed for original loading and is not able to take any additional load; and those first floor dwelling units where construction in back terrace without raising load bearing wall from the ground floor level have been made are also considered illegal constructions.

Earlier reminders

Public notices were earlier issued on September 24, 2022, January 22, 2023; and August 2, 2023. This is the final notice whereby allottees have been asked to remove illegal structures.

Panel surveyed 628 units

In compliance with the HC order, the CHB had constituted a committee of technical experts to survey 628 duplex flats at Sector 41-A to check structural stability and violations. It has observed that most of the allottees have not yet removed the violations despite clear instructions.