CHB members set to decide on Sector 53 housing scheme in Chandigarh

The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) is once again making efforts to launch its long-delayed General Housing Scheme in Sector 53. The board has now asked all its members to decide within three days whether they want to move ahead with the scheme, now revised with new pricing based on the latest collector rates.

This move is being seen as the final and most important step before the scheme can officially begin. If most board members agree, the project will be launched soon. This would be CHB’s first major housing scheme since 2016.

CHB recently got a renewal of its environmental clearance by paying a fee of ₹5 lakh. This clearance is only valid for one year, which makes the board’s decision urgent. If there is more delay, the clearance will expire again, and the board will have to repeat the same process.

The Sector 53 project has been delayed several times since it was first planned. Reasons for delay included changes in pricing, a lack of agreement among board members, and missing environmental approvals. Now, the environmental clearance is in place, and the only remaining hurdle is agreement on the revised flat prices.

Strong demand, but rising costs

The CHB had conducted a demand survey, which ended on March 3, 2025. The response was huge — 7,468 people applied for only 372 flats. That’s about 20 applicants for every flat, which shows that people in Chandigarh are still very interested in buying homes under government schemes.

Applicants paid deposits to show their interest:

• ₹10,000 for High-Income Group (HIG) and Middle-Income Group (MIG) flats

• ₹5,000 for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) flats

After the survey, the board collected around ₹7.5 crore. However, because of the uncertainty around the scheme's launch, it has started refunding the money to applicants.

A big issue now is the sharp rise in flat prices. On April 1, 2025, the city’s new collector rates came into effect, increasing the cost of land and housing. This raised the flat prices under the scheme by 35% to 40%.

Here’s a comparison of old and new prices:

• 3-bedroom flat: ₹1.65 crore → ₹2.30 crore

• 2-bedroom flat: ₹1.40 crore → ₹1.97 crore

• EWS flat: ₹55 lakh → ₹74 lakh

The increase is huge, and CHB is now worried whether people who applied earlier will still be interested at these higher prices.

A senior CHB official confirmed that members have received the agenda and been asked to reply in a set format. If a majority agrees, the housing scheme will be launched right away.

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A project with a long history

This isn’t the first time CHB has tried to launch the Sector 53 scheme. It was first introduced in 2018, but it received only 178 applications for 492 flats due to high prices. At that time, a 3-bedroom flat was offered at ₹1.8 crore, a 2-bedroom at ₹1.5 crore, and a 1-bedroom at ₹95 lakh. The low response forced CHB to cancel the scheme.

The board made another attempt in February 2023, this time with reduced prices. But later that year, the then UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit stopped the scheme on August 3, 2023, saying it was not needed.

In November 2024, the new UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria brought the scheme back and ordered a fresh demand survey, which received a much better response.

CHB was created in 1976 with the aim of providing affordable and good quality housing to people living in Chandigarh. But in recent years, the board has struggled to launch new projects. The last successful housing scheme was in 2016, when it offered 200 two-bedroom flats in Sector 51 for ₹69 lakh each.

Now, all eyes are on the final decision from CHB members. If the scheme is approved, it could offer some relief to people waiting for decent housing. But if members disagree due to high prices, the project may get delayed again or even dropped.

Officials are now in a tough spot. On one side, there is strong public demand. On the other, the increased prices may make the flats unaffordable. The board must strike a balance between recovering costs and offering fair prices.

The Sector 53 housing scheme is a test for the Chandigarh Housing Board. The public wants affordable homes, and the board wants to move forward. But high flat prices may stop many from buying. CHB has just a few days to decide. If the majority of members agree, the scheme could finally take off after years of delay. If not, Chandigarh may have to wait even longer for new government housing.