Chandigarh, Feb 13: A review committee has cleared the path for the implementation of the Chandigarh Housing Board’s need-based change policy, though it has advised against including independent residences and solar energy setups. The recommendations aim to address long-standing grievances of allottees who have seen the board’s policy revised five times since 2010.
The 11-member group was tasked with refining the January 2023 notification, which residents claimed categorized many previous relaxations as violations. A major point of contention has been the prohibition of construction in front of middle-income group duplex flats and extra rooms on first floors, which were permitted in earlier versions of the policy.
“The 2023 notification offered no real concession to residents and omitted previous recommendations for regularizing common changes,” Prof Nirmal Datt, chairman of the CHB Residents Welfare Federation, mentioned while appealing for a reconsideration of the rules.
The committee’s report suggests that independent houses should be treated differently from multi-unit blocks. Furthermore, it noted that structural stability remains a primary concern for rooftop solar projects, leading to the suggestion that these be removed from the immediate policy requirements.
“The committee has finalized the recommendations after getting feedback from stakeholders, residents, and experts,” the panel noted in its summary.
The CHB is now under pressure from resident welfare groups to include a comprehensive alternative that provides genuine relief to the thousands of homeowners currently facing violation notices.
