The Chandigarh administration finds itself at a critical juncture, caught between the directives of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and its own firm resolve to protect the city's planned character. Despite the MHA's request for documents and plans to discuss core issues affecting residents and industrialists, the administration appears unwilling to offer significant concessions.
Financial and Policy Concerns Drive Resistance
Senior officials within the administration have cited a combination of financial, administrative, and existing policy reasons for their cautious stance. Their primary goal remains the maintenance of the city's core essence, a challenge in the face of what they describe as haphazard growth. Consequently, the decision-making ball has effectively been passed back to the Union home ministry, led by Minister Amit Shah.
According to sources, the administration's strategy hinges on strict adherence to the Chandigarh Master Plan 2031 (CMP-2031), a document already approved by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the central government. Officials have prepared a detailed presentation to explain every aspect of this plan to the MHA.
Key Issues: Leasehold, Registry, and FAR
A senior officer clarified the administration's position on several contentious issues. On the hot-button topic of converting leasehold properties to freehold, the administration is primarily not in favour. The enormous property values in Chandigarh make such a conversion financially unviable for the Union Territory.
Regarding the ban on floor-wise registry of houses, the administration's stance is uncompromising, stating it is merely following a Supreme Court order and thus sees no room for alteration. However, a sliver of flexibility may exist concerning the Floor Area Ratio (FAR). The administration might consider some relaxation in FAR, particularly for sectors in the city's third phase, but only after thorough discussions with the MHA.
CMP-2031 Held as the Unchangeable Core
Another senior official emphasized that the CMP-2031 is viewed as the fundamental and most crucial framework for the city's development. "In our view, CMP-2031 is the core and most crucial aspect, and thus we are bound to follow it strictly," the official stated. The administration believes that while not all public demands can be accommodated, certain policy-driven issues will be formally shared with the MHA for a final decision.
This bureaucratic impasse has deep political roots. For nearly two decades, issues like leasehold conversion and property regulations have been paramount in the election manifestos and campaigns of major political parties, including the BJP and Congress, during both parliamentary and municipal corporation elections. Despite repeated assurances, neither party has managed to resolve these persistent concerns for Chandigarh's citizens.
