Chandigarh MP flays denial of amnesty to CHB occupants

Senior Congress leader and Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari today criticised the refusal by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to grant amnesty to occupants of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) for various alterations.

Tewari had raised question in Parliament, asking, whether the Union government planned to introduce an amnesty scheme or enact legislation, similar to the 1999 Delhi scheme or the NCT of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Act, 2023, to provide relief to allottees, given the problems caused by the unceasing flow of notices from the CHB.

The MP disclosed that the MHA has said there was no such plan to grant any amnesty. He said it was unfortunate that in the past 10 years, the CHB had issued 7,468 notices but carried out 223 demolitions only. “The percentage of notices to demolitions works out to a meagre 3.26 per cent only. Even the fines recovered over 10 years is Rs 3.72 crore only and that is only Rs 37.2 lakh a year on average,” he pointed out.

He said it was obvious that these notices were instruments of harassment, intimidation, coercion and even rent seeking. Tewari observed it was unfortunate that "the CHB refuses to bring an amnesty scheme despite the fact it is the most logical thing to do to mitigate this constant harassment and intimidation".

He appealed to the UT Administrator that he must review the functioning of the CHB comprehensively.