CHANDIGARH, July 29 — Even as the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) readies to launch its long-pending self-financing housing scheme in Sector 53, it has begun planning another major project in Sector 54, where over 1,000 flats are proposed to be built on 32 acres of reclaimed government land.
Officials said the move follows a recent demolition drive on July 21, during which the UT Estate Office cleared 10 to 12 acres of government land in Sectors 53–54 that had been under illegal occupation by furniture shopkeepers for nearly four decades.
The fresh plan for Sector 54 was discussed during a recent meeting chaired by UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, who directed CHB officials to prepare a comprehensive housing proposal. The board is now in the process of hiring an architect to design the project. Officials estimate it may take up to six months to finalise the scheme’s layout and details.
Meanwhile, preparations are also under way to launch the delayed Sector 53 housing scheme before Diwali this year. Once the Board of Directors approves the draft, brochures will be printed and the process of obtaining environmental clearance and RERA approval will begin.
Approved by Kataria earlier this year, the Sector 53 scheme had been stalled for years and was previously shelved in August 2023 by then Administrator Banwarilal Purohit, who had deemed it unnecessary. This led to the cancellation of Rs 200 crore worth of tenders for the construction of 372 flats.
The revived Sector 53 scheme proposes 192 HIG units, 100 MIG units, and 80 EWS flats on approximately nine acres of land.
Flat prices have been revised significantly following the implementation of new collector rates on April 1. The three-bedroom HIG flats are now expected to cost Rs 2.3 crore, a 39.39% increase over the earlier estimate of Rs 1.65 crore. The two-bedroom MIG flats are pegged at Rs 1.97 crore, up 40.71%, while EWS units will now cost around Rs 74 lakh, a 34.34% hike from the previous rate of Rs 55 lakh.
CHB officials say the board is committed to addressing the growing housing demand in the city and that both the Sector 53 and Sector 54 projects are part of a broader push to expand quality residential infrastructure.
The last CHB housing scheme was floated in 2016, offering 200 two-bedroom flats in Sector 51.
