Sector 53 housing scheme pre-Diwali launch unlikely

The launch of the proposed General Housing Scheme in Sector 53 is likely to get delayed.

After nearly nine years, the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) had planned to launch the scheme before Diwali. Sources said officials were working on making the scheme affordable, but were yet to finalise the details.

In contrary to the earlier plan, the scheme was likely to get delayed and could be launched after Diwali, the sources said, and added that after preparing details of the scheme, it would be sent to Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria for the final approval.

During a recent visit to the CHB office, Kataria had pushed for the launch of the long-delayed scheme before Diwali. He had directed officials to expedite the process and prepare a final note without further delay. He stressed that the housing scheme, which had been under discussion for months following the increase in collector rates, must be launched before Diwali.

The Administrator had also asked CHB officials to explore ways to reduce the prices of flats and rework the proposal to make housing more affordable.

Demand surveys for the Sector-53 project have been conducted twice. As many as 372 flats are proposed under the scheme.

As per the tentative cost worked out by the CHB, a three-bedroom flat (HIG) was to cost Rs 2.3 crore, 39.39% higher than the earlier proposed price of Rs 1.65 crore. A two-bedroom flat (MIG) was to cost Rs 1.97 crore, up 40.71% from the previous proposed rate of Rs 1.4 crore, and a two-room flat (EWS) about Rs 74 lakh, 34.34% costlier than the previous tentative cost of Rs 55 lakh. The CHB had revised the rates after the implementation of new collector rates in the city on April 1 this year.

The proposed scheme will have 192 HIG units, 100 MIG houses and 80 EWS flats.