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The Chandigarh Housing Board's proposal to introduce plotted residential development at the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park has been stalled after the urban-planning department rejected the request on the grounds of violating the city's master plan. The move marks another setback to CHB's long-pending attempts to initiate housing on the 123-acre land parcel, originally reclaimed nearly a decade ago after a prolonged dispute. The board's earlier group-housing scheme had also faced environmental hurdles, and the latest objection now forces CHB to reconsider how the strategically located IT Park land can be used.
The Chandigarh Housing Board's plan to create plotted housing in the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park was halted earlier this week after the union territory's urban-planning department refused approval. The department stated that the proposal did not align with Chandigarh's master plan, which favours high-density group housing rather than individual plot development in this specific zone. Advertisement
This setback adds to a long chain of delays for CHB, which has been trying to utilise the 123-acre parcel it regained in 2015 following a prolonged legal challenge with a private developer. The board had earlier approved a group-housing scheme in late 2020, proposing 728 flats planned across two plots measuring around 16.6 acres. The layout had included a mix of four-bedroom, three-bedroom and two-bedroom units to meet varying demand.
However, the scheme did not progress after environmental authorities declined clearance in the past, stating that the land fell within the eco-sensitive zone of the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary. CHB had countered that the land is positioned beyond the restricted buffer by approximately 1.25 kilometres and therefore eligible for construction under specified conditions laid out in the city's development plan.
After the environmental blockade, the board revised the proposal, limiting structures to low-rise buildings of ground-plus-three floors rather than the earlier seven-storey design. The revision was created to improve the project's chances of receiving wildlife-board clearance. Despite this recalibration, CHB shifted its focus towards plotted development, likely aiming to bypass constraints associated with multi-storey construction.
The latest decision, however, has ruled out the plotted-development model altogether, with the planning department reiterating that the master plan does not permit such land use within the technology park's jurisdiction. The rejection arrives at a time when the UT Administration has been encouraging CHB to explore ways to unlock value from its under-utilised land assets, including unused pockets within IT Park.
With the new objection, CHB will now need to reassess its strategy for the land - whether through another revised group-housing plan, an alternative residential typology, or a fresh layout that aligns with both planning and environmental stipulations.
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