Take back IT Park land, pay ₹1,000 crore invested since 2005: CHB to UT admn
The Chandigarh Housing Board has written to the Chandigarh administration to take the land back and return ₹1,000 crore that the board has spent on it since 2005
With 123 acres of prime land at Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park stuck in unending environmental and wildlife wrangles, leaving its ambitious housing scheme hanging, the Chandigarh Housing Board has written to the UT administration to take the land back and return ₹1,000 crore that the board has spent on it since 2005.
In October last year, the Union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) had refused to accord approval to the housing scheme, featuring 728 flats in three categories, stating that the project site falls in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary. Following the rejection, the UT administration had sent a fresh proposal to the ministry for reconsideration.
Three months later, in January 2023, the ministry had asked UT to send a detailed justification for allowing the project, reviving hopes of the scheme becoming a reality. But despite UT’s response, which clarified that the project site is located 1.25 km beyond the ESZ, where construction is allowed, and that the project is approved in the Chandigarh Master Plan-2031, no further communication has been received.
In 2017, Chandigarh had declared an area varying from 2 km to 2.75 km from the sanctuary boundary that falls within UT as ESZ, which was notified by the MoEF the same year.
In his letter to the UT estates secretary, CHB chief executive officer (CEO) Yashpal Garg has stated that the board had proposed to launch a general housing scheme at IT Park, but the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife had rejected the proposal, citing that the location is near the ESZ of Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary and development of high-rise buildings here will disrupt the migratory paths of birds.
“Now, the chances of getting the wildlife clearance are bleak...it is requested that the possession of the land be taken back from CHB and the board be compensated for the expenses to the tune of ₹1,000 crore that it has invested on the project,” the letter said.
The letter further said CHB had also taken up development works in the IT Habitat, including construction of roads, construction of underground RCC cable trench (service duct), central green, sewer, storm and water line, etc., in hand, for which consent to establish for the development works was granted by the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee. The no-objection certificate was also given by the monitoring committee of the ESZ of Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary. Apart from development works, certain consultancy works related to the project were also awarded. However, agreements of all such development/consultancy works had been closed, the letter informed the UT estates secretary.
What happened when
December 2005: The then UT administrator designates CHB as nodal agency for development of 123 acres at IT Park
August 2006: UT allots land to CHB for ₹18.50 crore. CHB makes deed of conveyance, pays stamp duty of ₹1.11 crore and ₹21.69 crore for shifting high-tension power cables
September: CHB selects Parsvnath Developers Limited (PDL) as developer of IT Habitat Project on PPP basis with highest bid price of ₹821 crore
October: CHB hands over 123 acres to PDL
September 2008: The then finance secretary directs that the entire bid amount and revenue share received by CHB will belong to UT, to be kept in a separate account of CHB and UT administration
October: Out of total ₹821 crore owed, PDL pays ₹516 crore. CHB deposits ₹278 crore in the consolidated fund and also deposits ₹91 crore as income tax
November: PDL suffers losses and goes into arbitration. Arbitrator appointed by the Supreme Court directs CHB to refund ₹567 crore to the builder. With PDL having deposited only ₹516 crore, CHB refunds ₹51 crore extra.
September 2015: The then CHB chairman writes to the then UT finance secretary to allow CHB to auction the plots on 123 acres
March 2017: The then UT administrator directs CHB to develop two residential plots for housing societies. The land was divided into various residential commercial and institutional plots
December 2020: CHB board of directors approves housing scheme at IT Park, featuring 728 flats in three categories. But project remains stalled due to Covid-19 pandemic
September 2021: UT administration sends file to Union government for wildlife and environment clearances
October 2022: Union ministry of environment and forest rejects scheme, stating that the project site falls in the eco-sensitive zone of the Sukhna wildlife sanctuary
November: UT administration writes back to the ministry for reconsideration
January 2023: Ministry responds, demands detailed justification from the administration for allowing the project.
April: CHB writes to UT administration to take the 123 acres back and return ₹1,000 crore spent by CHB since 2005.
