Chandigarh, Nov 12: Two years after scrapping its earlier housing projects at the IT Park, the Chandigarh Administration is planning to revive residential development in the area by switching to a plot-based model.
Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has instructed the UT Chief Architect to explore the possibility of creating residential plots at the IT Park instead of constructing group housing complexes, officials said.
The earlier plans — a general housing scheme and a government housing project — were cancelled in 2023 after both failed to obtain environmental clearance. The general housing scheme, nearly finalised, was to be built on 16.6 acres at a cost of ₹643 crore, while the government flats were proposed on 6.73 acres. The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) had allocated 123 acres for mixed use, including housing, a hotel, hospital, and school.
Kataria has also reviewed progress on the long-pending Sector 53 housing scheme. He asked the Chief Architect to consider dividing the 8.975-acre site into two pockets, allowing one portion to be sold to private developers. “We need to ensure financial viability while making housing affordable, particularly for the EWS category,” Kataria said, according to officials.
He further directed the administration to examine the possibility of increasing floor area ratio (FAR), building height, and density to make the project both profitable and accessible.
The CHB’s proposal had included 372 flats, with revised prices reflecting the updated collector rates effective from April 1. The cost of a three-bedroom HIG flat was estimated at ₹2.3 crore — nearly 39% higher than before — while a two-bedroom MIG flat was projected at ₹1.97 crore, and an EWS flat at ₹74 lakh.
In addition, the Administrator instructed CHB to explore constructing rental accommodation for government employees on recently transferred land in Sector 54. The model under consideration would peg rent to the employees’ house rent allowance (HRA).
Kataria also directed the Estate Department to prepare an eligibility policy for EWS allotments. Officials said the absence of such a framework has delayed both CHB and Municipal Corporation housing initiatives and land auctions for new projects.
