CHANDIGARH: The Sector 53 housing scheme of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) received a fresh lease of life with CHB deciding to undertake a fresh demand survey for the project. This decision was made in a meeting of the board chaired by UT chief secretary-cum-CHB chairman Rajeev Verma on Friday.
The launch of Sector 53 housing scheme has been marred by delays for several years since it was first planned in 2018. This is the third time the self-financing housing scheme, planned on a nine-acre plot, is being considered by the board.
Last year, just when the CHB was planning to launch the project, it was junked by the then UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit. Recently, the administration reviewed its decision and asked the CHB to give a presentation to the chief secretary on the project, which was given on Friday.
The scheme could not be launched in 2018 after a demand survey revealed that there were not many takers for the scheme because of the high cost of dwelling units.
For 492 flats that were planned to be constructed under the scheme, only 178 applications were received in the demand survey. A one-bedroom set was priced at a whopping Rs 86 lakh, 2BHK for Rs 1.28 crore, and 3BHK priced at Rs 1.5 crore.
In March 2020, the board scrapped the scheme in Sector 53. However, the officers were asked to consider framing a new scheme with a lesser cost. For reviving the project, CHB requested the UT urban planning department on May 5, 2020, to increase the FAR to 2 from 1.5, density to 350 from 250 PPA, and height to G+6 from G+5 on the pattern of the adjoining UT employees housing scheme in Sector 53. However, the department turned down the request.
The housing board submitted that to make it an affordable housing scheme, there was an urgent need to increase FAR. By offering more space in the flats, the buyers would be interested in a housing scheme, which can evoke a good response, the CHB submitted.
In 2022, for the revival of the scheme, CHB dropped the plan to construct 100 one-room flats. Under the revived scheme, CHB then in 2023 planned to offer 372 flats in three categories — 192 three-bedroom, 100 two-bedroom, and 80 two-bedroom EWS flats.
The flats were to be offered at Rs 1.65 crore for three-bedroom, Rs 1.40 crore for two-bedroom, and Rs 55 lakh for two-bedroom EWS.
