No swap, UT to sell land for Haryana Assembly

The Chandigarh Administration has rejected a proposal for land swap by the Haryana Government to construct its new Vidhan Sabha, citing the absence of any such provision in the UT Master Plan-2031.

Instead, the UT Administration is considering offering Haryana the 10-acre plot it has chosen for the Assembly building near the railway light point for purchase at market rates. Currently, the plot is valued at approximately Rs 640 crore. In lieu of the 10-acre plot, Haryana had offered Chandigarh 12 acres of land in the Saketri area of Panchkula district. However, the UT Administration turned down the proposal due to multiple reasons, including planning constraints, accessibility issues and a natural drain that divides the offered land into two. Chandigarh officials pointed out that the two plots were not comparable in terms of access and urban planning. The main issue with the Saketri site was the natural drain, which not only bifurcated the plot but also restricted construction in its vicinity, the officials said.

In contrast, the 10-acre plot in Chandigarh was a prime location adjacent to a 200-foot-wide road that connected directly to Madhya Marg, said officials.

Haryana’s demand for a new Vidhan Sabha stems from the anticipated 2026 delimitation exercise, which is expected to increase the state’s Assembly constituencies from 90 to 126 and Lok Sabha seats from 10 to 14. The existing Assembly in Chandigarh building lacks space for expansion, making a new facility essential.