CHB Proposes Instalment Option for Defaulters
The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) is likely to consider a proposal to provide relief to allottees of small flats under rehabilitation schemes who have failed to pay rent. According to officials, the issue will be taken up during a meeting of the Board of Directors scheduled to be held soon. Instead of cancelling the allotment, rent defaulters may be given an opportunity to pay pending dues in instalments.
Recent Crackdown on Defaulters
The CHB had recently intensified its action against defaulters, cancelling the allotment of nearly 90 beneficiaries of the Small Flats Scheme-2006 and the Affordable Rental Housing Complex who failed to pay rent. Nearly 13,000 allottees have defaulted on rent payments, and notices were issued to those whose allotments had been cancelled to vacate their flats. These flats are located in Maloya, Dhanas, and other parts of the city, allotted under various rehabilitation schemes.
Outstanding Dues Reach Rs 52 Crore
According to officials, the total outstanding amount has reached nearly Rs 52 crore, including Rs 25 crore in unpaid rent and nearly Rs 27 crore in accumulated interest due to prolonged non-payment over several years. The housing units were allotted under a licence-based system requiring beneficiaries to pay a minimum monthly rent. However, many allottees failed to deposit even the basic rent over extended periods, making the dues run into lakhs per household.
Need-Based Changes to Be Discussed
A long-pending demand of allottees for regularisation of need-based changes in dwelling units will also come up for discussion in the board meeting before finalising the report. The UT Administration recently constituted a fresh eight-member committee headed by the CHB Chief Executive Officer to review and recommend need-based changes in CHB dwelling units. In January this year, the UT Administration had constituted an 11-member committee to review the policy on need-based changes notified on January 3, 2023. That policy was put on hold following a Supreme Court order on January 10, 2023. The committee recommended implementing the policy with certain exclusions, dropping four out of 28 clauses. However, house owners have been opposing the January 2023 notification, claiming it reversed previous relaxations and categorised these as violations. CHB allottees have demanded the withdrawal of the policy and provision of a comprehensive alternative. Over the past four decades, CHB has constructed around 68,000 flats across categories, with nearly 80% having some form of structural alteration.
Other Agenda Items: IT Park and High-Rise Buildings
Other issues to be discussed in the meeting include the development of IT Park and construction of high-rise buildings on vacant land of the CHB. High-rises, plots at IT Park, and group housing societies in the city’s periphery have been proposed in the draft amendments to the Chandigarh Master Plan-2031 released by the UT Administration recently. The proposed amendments focus on promotion of high-rise government housing in Phases II and III, and modern residential development for general group housing in Phase III. The UT Administration has proposed shifting from multi-storey flats to plotted development at IT Park to bypass wildlife clearance hurdles.
