Ownership rights to residents of rehabilitation areas in Chandigarh: New panel formed to examine the matter

UT officials said the administration already has survey data of all rehabilitation colony houses in the city.

According to the survey, nearly 80 per cent of the occupants are not original allottees and are residing in the houses on the basis of General Power of Attorney (GPA) transactions. In several cases, houses have reportedly been sold three to four times. The administration maintains that property transactions based on such informal documents are not legally valid, as these units were allotted on licence for residence and not for ownership transfer.

The issue of ownership rights has also been raised in Parliament. In response to a question by MP Manish Tewari last year, the Centre had stated that there is no provision to grant ownership rights in such cases.

These houses were originally allotted under a rehabilitation scheme around 1979 on long-term leases, mostly for 99 years. In 2011, the Supreme Court barred property transfers based solely on GPA documents, and the restriction continues. Major rehabilitation colonies where residents have been demanding ownership include Daddumajra, Indira Colony, Manimajra, Mauli Jagran, Dhanas, Bapu Dham, and Sectors 52 and 56.

According to official data, more than 34,965 houses have been constructed under the scheme since 1980 for economically weaker sections on leasehold or monthly licence-fee basis. Over 15,000 units are currently listed as defaulters for not depositing licence fees for several years.

The previous committee had recommended that ownership rights should not be granted and suggested recovering dues from occupants, including those residing through GPA, tenancy, or subletting arrangements, and revising licence fees as per market rates.

The newly formed panel will now re-examine all aspects before the administration takes a final decision.