Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria has approved the recommendations of a high-level committee constituted to review the need-based changes order dated January 3, 2023, paving the way for partial implementation of the revised policy by the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB).The committee, set up under the chairmanship of the Secretary, Estate, UT Chandigarh, had undertaken a comprehensive review of the consolidated order in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s judgment dated January 10, 2023, which directed freezing of the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) in the city. The review also took into account representations received from various stakeholders as well as prevailing ground realities.After examining the policy provisions in detail, the committee recommended that the SC order dated January 3, 2023, be implemented with certain exclusions to ensure conformity with the apex court’s directions and existing planning regulations.According to UT officials, the administrator has now given his approval to these recommendations.Following the approval, the CHB has been directed to initiate implementation of specific provisions of the policy with immediate effect. These include Clauses 2, 21, 24 and 26 to 28 of the changes to the order dated January 3, 2023.UT officials said the decision is aimed at bringing clarity and transparency in the execution of the policy while ensuring strict adherence to planning norms and legal requirements. The move is also expected to address long-pending concerns of CHB residents regarding permissible alterations and modifications in dwelling units, within the framework of the law.The need-based changes policy governs structural and architectural modifications that allottees of CHB housing units can undertake. The earlier order had been consolidated in January 2023, but its implementation was impacted following the SC’s directive on freezing FAR.Story continues below this adThe CHB’s need-based rules have been revised multiple times — in 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2023. Earlier policies allowed additions such as front projections or balconies in middle-income group duplex flats supported by pillars, but these were treated as violations in the 2019 and 2023 versions. Similarly, extra rooms constructed above ground-floor structures had been permitted earlier but were restricted in the latest policy for certain categories, including some Sector 41-A residents.Residents bodies estimate that about 55,000 of the roughly 62,000 CHB units currently have some form of alteration, ranging from covered courtyards and enclosed balconies to additional rooms.With the Administrator’s approval, the UT Administration has signalled its intent to balance residents’ genuine requirements with the city’s planning principles and judicial mandates. The CHB is expected to issue detailed operational guidelines shortly to facilitate smooth implementation of the approved clauses.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:chandigarh