After years of delays, uncertainty, and administrative hurdles, the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) is finally set to launch its long-pending General Housing Scheme in Sector 53 in the second week of September. This will mark CHB’s first major housing scheme in nearly a decade, its last successful offering being in 2016 in Sector 51.
The Sector 53 project will comprise 492 flats spread across 8.98 acres, with buildings rising up to five storeys. A senior CHB official confirmed that the brochure has been finalised and the launch will go ahead with the newly revised collector rates, effective April 1.
Under these rates, prices have surged sharply. A three-bedroom flat will cost around Rs. 2.30 crore, a two-bedroom flat Rs. 1.97 crore, and an EWS unit Rs. 74 lakhs. Earlier, before the hike, the same flats were estimated at Rs. 1.65 crore, Rs. 1.40 crore, and Rs. 55 lakhs respectively reflecting a 35–40% jump.
The scheme, first announced in 2018, had been stalled multiple times due to high prices, lack of consensus, and administrative delays. In 2018, when prices were pegged at Rs. 1.8 crore for a three-bedroom unit, Rs. 1.5 crore for a two-bedroom, and Rs. 95 lakhs for a one-bedroom, it attracted only 178 applications for 492 flats, forcing CHB to shelve the plan.
A demand survey conducted earlier this year, however, demonstrated strong interest, with 7,468 applicants vying for 372 flats across categories. Applicants deposited Rs. 10,000 each for HIG and MIG flats and Rs. 5,000 for EWS units to confirm their interest.
Environmental clearance for the project is already in place, with CHB renewing approval by paying Rs. 5 lakhs to the environment department. UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria gave the go-ahead in June 2025 for the scheme to be launched with the revised rates. A formal presentation will be made before him in the coming week.
Once launched, even those who participated in the demand survey will need to submit fresh applications. Established in 1976, CHB has been mandated to provide affordable housing in Chandigarh but has struggled to justify its existence in recent years.
With the launch of the Sector 53 scheme, the board hopes to regain momentum and credibility, reviving its role in meeting Chandigarh’s housing needs after nearly a decade-long gap.
