CRAWFED seeks one-time regularisation of changes made to CHB houses

Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh

Chandigarh Residents Welfare Federation (CRAWFED) has urged the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) to introduce a comprehensive and transparent one-time regularisation policy for changes made to residential units according to the needs of families.

The federation estimates that around 80 to 90 per cent of the CHB’s nearly 62,000 to 68,000 residential units have undergone some form of need-based modification, potentially affecting around five lakh residents.

CRAWFED general secretary Dr Anish Garg said most of these changes were made over the years in response to growing family sizes, the needs of elderly members, privacy concerns, storage requirements, and the need for better lighting and ventilation. These include adding rooms and toilets, using balconies, covering courtyards and making other internal alterations.

He said frequent changes in rules and policies over different periods had left even residents who had carried out modifications in accordance with the rules applicable at the time in a state of legal uncertainty. He stressed the need for a one-time solution to resolve the issue.

Policy Suggested on Delhi’s 1999 Model

CRAWFED has suggested that Chandigarh adopt a one-time regularisation policy along the lines of Delhi’s 1999 policy.

According to the federation, non-encroaching modifications made within the prescribed limits of an allotted plot or building could be regularised on payment of a reasonable fee and submission of a structural safety certificate.

Dr Garg said encroachment on government or common land should not be permitted. However, a practical and humane approach should be adopted towards modifications made within the prescribed boundaries of houses to meet ordinary family needs.

Old Violations Should Not Block Property Transfers

The federation has also demanded that old building-related violations should not be linked to the transfer and mutation of properties. This, it said, would prevent residents from having to wait indefinitely to sell, gift or transfer their properties through inheritance.