CHANDIGARH:Hope turned into despair for hundreds of Chandigarh Administration employees
those have been dreaming to have a roof on their head for the past ten years because of
bureaucratic red tape and housing board set high targets. . In a recent meeting held on November
17 with the Adviser to the UT Administrator, the Employees Housing Welfare Federation has
rejected the proposal and decided to submit their side before the court in the next hearing.
The housing scheme for UT employees was floated by the Chandigarh Administration in
2008. Under the Scheme ‘UT Employees Housing Scheme-2008’ construction work on 2108 flats in
Sector 63 supposed to start in July 2011 and be completed by June 2013 by the Chandigarh Housing
Board, the nodal agency of the Chandigarh Administration.
The scheme include 336 three-bed room flats; 888 two-bed room flats; 564 one-bed room
flats and flats for EWS all to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 414.45 crore. Even registration letters
of Category ‘A’ and ‘D’ have been issued to the successful applicants in May 2011. A draw of lots was
held on November 4, 2010 in which 3930 out of7811 applicants were declared successful.
The Centre had directed the Chandigarh Administration to recalculate the rates of flats of
different categories. Last year the Chandigarh Housing Board had finalized rates of various
categories as 3-BHK flat for Rs 1.76 crore; 2-BHK flat for Rs 1.35 crore; One BHK flat for Rs 99 lakh
and Rs 58.07 lakh for flat of EWS category.
At the launching the said Scheme the flats were offered for Rs 34.70 lakh (3BHK); Rs 24.30
lakh for 2BHK; Rs 13.53 lakh for one BHK and Rs 5.76 lakh for EWS flats. Increase in the rates of flats
dashed the hope of many employees. While talking to a few aspirants said that no one ready to pay
such a huge amount for a flat. A number of aspirants have preferred to have a roof over head in
nearby surrounding cities like Mohali, New Chandigarh, Zirakpur and Panchkula.
Usually, the Chandigarh Housing Board is always under the fire range of public for non-
performance, has now again seemed to under employees outcry. Its effort to wash clean the stigma
of non-performance that generally gets stuck to the board has failed.
On the directions of the Home Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI, New Delhi, the
Chandigarh Housing Board has submitted two proposals of constructing six-storey or 11-storey flats
to bring down the cost of flats
On the other hand, Dr Ritesh Arya, internationally renowned Geologist, rejected idea of
housing board to have six or 11-storey flats in Chandigarh as the city fell under Seismic Zone 5 which
was considered highly prone to earthquakes.
Bureaucratic red tape working and board has set its sights high cost the employees dearer.
At the time of launch of the scheme, flat cost was calculated more or less Rs 35 lakh which has now
increased to Rs 1.50 crore and price goes beyond the reach of the employees before the scheme
sees light of the day.
In the past, over-burdened, acute shortage of staff with paucity of funds has made the
Board to drag its feet from most of the ambitious schemes. In such a scenario, the Board may not
plan to drag its feet from this scheme also.
In the meantime, the Board has been reeling under deep financial crisis due to its
mismanagement. The Administration is again finding ways to bring the Board back on rails till then
the poor employees should content themselves with hope against hope.