CHB detaches building violations from transfer of freehold properties
Previously, CHB did not record such transfers after the sale was executed, posing troubles for sellers and buyers alike
In a major relief for thousands of allottees, the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has delinked the issue of building violations from transfer of freehold units.
The board has also decided that allotments that were cancelled due to building violations can be restored by September 30, 2022.
More than 65,000 CHB allottees are likely to benefit from the decisions, which were taken during the meeting of the CHB board of directors under the chairmanship of UT adviser Dharam Pal on Tuesday.
Building violations include construction of unauthorised cantilevers, storeys, rooms and toilets, among others.
“In case of freehold units, CHB will record the transfer on the basis of registered sale deed and an affidavit from the transferee about being responsible for all existing violations and ongoing proceedings, if any,” said Yashpal Garg, chief executive officer, CHB.
“So far, CHB didn’t allow transfer of such properties in its records after the sale was executed. This caused a lot of problems for the allottees looking for buyers,” said Hitesh Puri, a non-official member of the CHB board.
A CHB official said more than 2,000 cases of transfer of property were pending with the board. “Realty experts believethat the decisions will also release stuck housing supply in the Chandigarh’s property market. CHB houses are likely to see a price rise as potential demand materialises,” said Puri.
At the meeting, the adviser directed that efforts should be made to speed up the process of allowing approvals in a time-bound manner and preferably the Single Window Process should be followed.
Meanwhile, for restoration of allotments cancelled due to building violations, an allottee needs to meet two conditions. Firstly, all building violations that led to cancellation of allotment need to be removed by September 30. Then, revival/restoration charges need to be deposited.
After the previous deadline ended on December 31, 2021, allottees had been seeking an extension. Garg said, “Several allottees couldn’t pursue their cases due to the pandemic. So, we found that denial of adequate time to comply with different conditions for restoration of allotment will not be appropriate.”
With a CHB committee already examining the issue of allowing need-based changes, the board decided that allottees should be allowed more time to get their properties restored.
The UT adviser had previously constituted a committee under the CHB secretary to examine the issue. It is likely to submit its report in couple of weeks.