Thousands of residents living in small flats and affordable rental housing complexes could get relief from outstanding dues and high monthly licence fees, while people who acquired Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) properties through general power of attorney (GPA) agreements could get another opportunity to regularise their transfers.
The CHB board of directors on Monday approved a series of long-pending demands, including a one-time interest waiver and the reintroduction of its GPA transfer policy.
This comes two days after Union home minister Amit Shah, during his visit to the city announced three Diwali gifts for the city, but said, he will leave it to administrator Gulab Chand Kataria to make the final announcement.
The decisions taken at the board meeting, chaired by UT chief secretary and CHB chairman H Rajesh Prasad, will come into effect after the administrator’s approval.
Relief for economically weaker residents
One of the major decisions is a recommended one-time waiver of interest worth around ₹20 crore for approximately 14,000 beneficiaries of the Small Flats Scheme-2006 and affordable rental housing complexes. The relief will also cover licensees whose allotments have been cancelled due to non-payment of dues.
The issue has been a long-standing concern for economically weaker residents who have struggled to clear accumulated dues, including interest. Under the proposed scheme, beneficiaries will have to clear their outstanding principal and other dues, either in one payment or through installments, by October 31, 2027, or before expiry of the licence term, whichever is earlier. The waiver is expected to reduce the financial burden on families and give eligible defaulters an opportunity to retain or regularise their allotments, subject to the final conditions.
Monthly fee for affordable rental housing scheme allottees
Another decision concerns the monthly licence fee charged under the affordable rental housing complexes scheme. Around 2,000 flats were allotted to occupants of prefabricated shelters in Sectors 52 and 56 at ₹3,000 per month, compared with ₹800 charged under the small flats scheme. The board approved bringing the fee down to the Small Flats Scheme level for beneficiaries from economically vulnerable categories, including those with an annual family income below ₹1.5 lakh, priority household ration card holders, persons with disabilities, destitutes and widows. The reduction will not automatically apply to every ARHC allottee.
Another chance for GPA allottees
The board also approved the reintroduction of the 2016 GPA transfer policy, with modifications, for a period of six months as a one-time measure. This will benefit thousands of residents, who have purchased CHB properties through GPA, but have been unable to get them formally transferred in their names. They, therefore, continue to face legal hurdles in securing formal ownership rights despite being in possession of the properties and having documents relating to the old transactions.
The CHB had earlier introduced a policy in 2016 to regularise certain old property transactions. However, following a Supreme Court judgment and subsequent directions from the administration, the board stopped accepting applications for transfer based on GPA and special power of attorney (SPA) from January 2018.
The fresh policy will apply to GPAs executed before October 11, 2011, in accordance with the cut-off date laid down by the Supreme Court in the Suraj Lamp case.
For CHB employees
The Board also approved an enhancement in the ex-gratia payment and Diwali gift given to CHB employees, a practice followed since 1985. The revised measures are subject to the administrator’s approval.