No nod for Delhi pattern, housing board constitutes another committee

Despite insistence by BJP members (non-official members of the board), the go ahead to Delhi pattern wasn’t given.

The Chandigarh Housing Board in its board meeting held on Wednesday did not give a clear go-ahead to adopting the Delhi pattern of regularising violations done by CHB allottees. Rather, another committee was constituted.

The Board meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Dharam Pal, Advisor to Administrator and Chairman of Chandigarh Housing Board.

Despite insistence by BJP members (non-official members of the board), the go ahead to Delhi pattern wasn’t given.

“After much debate in the CHB meeting today, Delhi pattern could not be approved. I requested all the board members to consider the six points that I put forth. When I assured the advisor that if the six points are resolved, it will be a relief to many people, it was decided to constitute a committee in which each problem will be reconsidered. I am sorry that I could not succeed in getting the Delhi Solution Scheme approved,” said BJP leader Prem Kaushik.

After the meeting, board in its decision said that for further Need Based Changes in CHB residential units, a committee under the Chairmanship of Secretary, CHB has been constituted comprising members of concerned UT Administration departments.

“During the process, the committee may consult the nominated members of the Board, RWAs and other stake-holders for some innovative solutions. The report of the committee is to be placed before the Board for consideration and appropriate decisions,” stated CHB in its decision.

OFFICERS HAD STATED THAT UT IS VULNERABLE TO QUAKES, NOT COMPARABLE WITH DELHI
The agenda that was put up before the board specified that Chandigarh already has high vulnerability to earthquakes and is also is not comparable with Delhi.

“Regarding the requests to allow one-time settlement for all the existing violations and to follow the Delhi pattern where some of the violations were regularised on payment of certain composition fee, it is submitted that Chandigarh is a planned city with the unique architecture character and may not be comparable with Delhi. Also, Chandigarh has high vulnerability to earthquakes as it lies in Seismic Zone-IV and unauthorised violations may pose a threat to the human life and public property,” it was specified in the agenda.

“It may lead to issues with regard to basic requirements like light, ventilation, zoning of the area, street picture and structure stability of the existing structure etc,” it was added.
The issue regarding regularisation of building violations and one time settlement on Delhi pattern was raised in the last meeting of the Administrator’s Advisory Council on February 10

sTUDY HAD SAID changes NOT SAFE
Just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections of 2019, the BJP had announced regularisation of the need-based changes, as made in nearly 50,000 dwelling units of the board by the residents.
The Chandigarh Housing Board had given a nod to need-based changes in its dwelling units despite a report from consultants, roped in to assess the structural stability, specifying that the alterations made do not satisfy the basic seismic requirements ie these dwelling units are highly vulnerable to earthquakes. The need-based changes were to be approved only after ascertaining structural stability of the dwelling units.

Punjab Engineering College was hired to assess the structural stability of the same, while the study was conducted by Civil Engineering Department. In a confidential report accessed by The Indian Express, it was found that these changes do not satisfy basic seismic requirements and certain specifications were required to qualify these requirements, which are crucial in ensuring structural stability of the building.

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