Punjab Government to buy 167 flats for Rs 121crore in Purab Apartments
The Punjab Government is set to purchase 167 flats in Purab Premium Apartments, Sector 88, for Rs 121.96 crore as accommodations for government officials. A Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) official said, “47 Type-1 flats, 60 Type-2, and 60 Type-3 flats are set to be purchased for housing administration officials here.”
Officials said the accommodation may be allotted to IAS, PCS, PPS, revenue, and other department officials as soon as possible, adding that the flats were in a ‘ready to move in’ condition. Two additional deputy commissioners (ADCs) and a tehsildar have already been living in the apartments allotted to them by the government for the past few months.
Punjab Governor has sanctioned Rs 38.85 crore as a down payment for the payment of the 25 per cent principal amount, cancer cess, and corpus fund. The rest of the payment will be done in eight installments in Financial Year 2025. “The prior approval of the Department of Finance has been sought on October 21. The sanction is vetted by the Department of General Administration,” the order read.
A flagship project of the GMADA, the project, Purab Apartments, is spread over 37.5 acres and has 1,620 flats that became available in 2017. The sprawling project has easy accessibility, is close to the District Administrative Complex, and is centrally located in the city.
The project has remained in the spotlight for one reason or another. Issues such as law and order, ownership rights, construction quality, and environmental guideline violations have dogged it since the beginning.
Administration officials believe that after government employees move into these flats with their families, the ambience of the locality may change. More police presence in the area will keep the antisocial element in check, they said.
In July this year, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) imposed an environmental compensation of Rs 1.02 crore on the GMADA for violations under Sections 33-A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 on the Purab Premium Apartments. Revenue officials were told not to register sale deeds related to plots, flats, houses, or shops in the project.
