After a sixteen-year battle, 3,930 employees of the Chandigarh Administration finally received relief from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. On 30 May, the Court ordered that the land for their dwelling units be provided at the “brochure rate” promised by the Union Territory in 2008.
This ruling comes after 100 employees lost their lives during the prolonged legal struggle. The Court mandated that while the construction cost would be charged at current rates, the land would be given at the brochure rate.
As a result of this order, employees will pay Rs 7,920 per square yard for the land, a significant relief compared to the current market rate of Rs 74,131 per square yard.
The Association expressed gratitude to the court for this relief.
The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) launched the scheme in 2008 to construct apartments for the employees. In 2010, 3,930 applicants were selected through a draw of lots. However, construction never began.
In 2010, a draw of lots selected 3,930 employees from 7,827 applicants, who then deposited approximately Rs 57 crore with the CHB. However, the scheme was later shelved.
The cost of the apartments increased significantly due to delays, rising to Rs 2.08 crore for category A, Rs 1.64 crore for category B, Rs 1 crore for category C, and Rs 50 lakh for category D. These inflated costs were unacceptable to the employees, as the initial rates were much lower. Consequently, the employees took the matter to the High Court, alleging that the CHB was charging five times the initial price for the land.
1 Comment
What about private sector employees. They are also paying taxes but are never being considered for such schemes. India is all about government employees no place for private sector employees.