The Chandigarh administration is set to provide significant relief to over 3.5 lakh residents living in approximately 66,000 Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) houses. The administration is planning to reinstate a crucial notification that will regularise need-based modifications made by residents, a move that has been long awaited.
Notification Set for Revival by End of January
Chief Secretary H Rajesh Prasad announced at the UT Secretariat in Sector 9 that a fresh notification will be issued by the end of January 2024. This notification will essentially revive the provisions of the earlier January 3, 2023 notification, which was put on hold following a Supreme Court order on January 10, 2023. The new order will provide relief for modifications already carried out, subject to applicable charges.
Prasad stated that the relaxations and exemptions from the 2023 notification will be implemented to the maximum extent possible, with some new provisions also likely to be added. He emphasised that while compoundable violations will be allowed, allottees must comply with all statutory rules, particularly those concerning structural safety and fire safety norms.
Key Exemptions and New Provisions Under Review
An 11-member committee, headed by the UT Estate Secretary, is currently reviewing the 2023 notification and is expected to submit its report by the end of January. The report will then be sent to UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria for final approval.
The original notification included several key exemptions for residents. A major provision was permission for 10-foot-wide gates, with the condition that they not face V-3 and V-4 roads. The revised draft is considering allowing such gates on these roads for houses in Sectors 29, 30, and others.
Other significant provisions under review include:
- Approval for installing grills or glazing on balconies and verandas.
- Provision of a 39x39-inch cut-out in common areas.
- Increasing main gate width to 12 feet and height to 6 feet.
- Permission to lower window sills up to four inches below floor level.
- Removal of internal walls up to 4.5 inches thick, and thicker walls in independent houses.
- Coverage of corridor areas for HIG category houses in Sector 45.
- Use of polycarbonate sheets or fibreglass coverings.
- Permission to install elevators and shift gates to front boundary walls.
- Construction of roofs over parking spaces for specific HIG categories in Sectors 45 and 39-B.
New Housing Scheme in Sector 53
In a related development, Chief Secretary Prasad announced a shift in strategy for a new housing project in Sector 53. Instead of constructing flats itself, the CHB will auction the land parcel to private builders through an e-auction process by March 2026. The entire land in the sector will be plotted and auctioned, allowing private developers to participate.
This marks a change from the previous plan, which involved building 372 flats. Under that plan, a demand survey was conducted twice, and the price of a 3-bedroom flat was proposed to be around Rs 2.30 crore.
The move to regularise need-based changes is expected to resolve long-standing grievances of CHB residents who have made alterations to their homes for practical needs but lived under the threat of these being deemed unauthorized. The upcoming notification aims to bring a structured and lawful framework to these modifications.
