Guv asks CHB to take part in govt tenders
Unable to come up with a new project for the past many years, UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has instructed the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) to explore the possibility of participating in big government tenders for development and construction works as is being done in some public sector undertakings. The instructions were issued during a recent meeting of the board which was chaired by the Administrator.
On stalled general housing scheme in Sector 53, Kataria directed the CHB to submit a fresh presentation on implementation of the scheme by December 31. In August last year, the then UT Administrator, Banwarilal Purohit, had stalled the Sector 53 general housing scheme, citing lack of necessity for the project.
Initially floated in 2018, the Sector 53 housing scheme faced setbacks due to high prices and poor buyer interest, leading to its cancellation in 2018. It was revived in February 2022 with revised pricing. The CHB was to construct 192 three-bedroom flats at a cost of Rs 1.65 crore each, 100 two-bedroom flats at a cost of Rs 1.40 crore, 48 two-bedroom EWS flats at a cost of Rs 55 lakh each. In August 2022, tenders worth Rs 200 crore for 340 flats were floated, but the project was stalled again after Purohit’s intervention.
For the IT Habitat project, including housing projects, at Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park, Kataria directed the CHB to assess the possibility of obtaining wildlife clearance from the National Board for Wildlife and consider alternative plans in consultation with relevant departments to facilitate construction.
