Need-based changes in CHB units: Panel members favour one-time settlement

Chandigarh, January 19

One-time settlement on the Delhi pattern was suggested during the second meeting of the committee constituted to examine requests for further need-based changes in dwelling units of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB).

The meeting, which was chaired by the CHB Secretary, was attended by former Mayor Poonam Sharma, member of the board, Hitesh Puri, chairman, Chandigarh Resident Association of Welfare Federation (Crawford), and architect Surinder Bahga. All three are non-official members of the Board of Directors of the CHB and they have been included as special invitees to the committee.

At the meeting, the members said relief could be given to people only by implementing a one-time settlement scheme on the lines of Delhi. Puri suggested that three categories could be formed for providing relief to the allottees. He said compoundable offence could be regularised after charging a penalty, second category could be the violation carried out within the boundary wall and encroachment on government land could fall in the third category, he said, adding that the authorities should in the initial stage regularise need-based changes carried out in the first and second categories. While the construction on government land, which cannot be regularised, should be allowed to be used by the people with some charges and the right to such land should remain with the CHB.

Puri said people could be given relief by implementing need-based changes on the lines of Delhi and hence they had raised all these issues at the meeting. He said the Chief Architect and the Chief Engineer could not attend the meeting as they were down with Covid and no decision could be taken. These issues would now be discussed in detail at the next meeting.

He said notices should not be sent to allottees on old construction unless a new policy on need-bases changes was implemented on the lines of Delhi. In addition, there was a demand to remove the ban on property transfer due to violation in houses.

They also sought increase in the floor area ratio (FAR) in independent houses. He said with the increase in FAR, people would be able to make changes as per their requirement. The recommendations of the committee would be sent to the Board of Directors of the CHB for a final decision.