CHB has drifted away from its original goal of affordable housing, says CRAWFED

He pointed out that the city no longer receives equitable financial attention in Union Budgets, with its average growth rate slipping into single digits. He stressed the need for strengthening the Municipal Corporation, advocating for the introduction of direct mayoral elections and expansion of the civic body’s jurisdiction and authority.

Baljinder Singh Bittu, chairman of the Federation of Sectors Welfare Association Chandigarh (FOSWAC), expressed concern over the inefficiency and cost burden of the current smart parking system, calling it an “entry ticket without facilities”.

He criticised the sharp increase in housing prices, especially with a CHB flat now priced at around Rs 3 crore, and lamented the unchecked growth of street vendors and beggars across the city.

Hitesh Puri, chairman of CRAWFED, said the Chandigarh Housing Board has drifted away from its original goal of affordable housing.

He demanded that the board be merged with the Estate Office and Engineering Wing to reduce unnecessary administrative overhead. Sanjeev Chadha, president of the Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, questioned the bureaucratic setup in the city, arguing that unlike Panchkula and Mohali, which are managed more efficiently with fewer officers, Chandigarh is bogged down by policy stagnation.

He emphasised that the business community is being pushed out due to unaccommodating policies.

Dr Amarjit Singh Naura, president of the Panjab University Teachers’ Association (PUTA), highlighted the poor civic amenities on the university campus, including waterlogging, waste collection, and road maintenance. He urged the administration to extend uniform services to the university, just as in other parts of the city.

Architect Surinder Bahga called for the revival of several pending projects conceptualised by Le Corbusier and flagged growing red tape and a lack of transparency as key deterrents to the city’s progress.

The participants also addressed a variety of concerns, from irregular conversion charges and water penalties to traffic congestion and policy inertia.

R S Thapar from the Voice of Housing Societies suggested that vehicle registration in Chandigarh should be linked to the availability of certified parking space.

Ram Kumar Garg, president of the Federation of Chandigarh Region Automobile Dealers, raised doubts over the city’s bureaucratic-led governance, calling it a failed political model.

Among the awardees were Amit Sharma, a leading advocate for waste management; Major D P Singh, a veteran blood donor; Dr Santosh Kumar of PGI; Swarnjeet Singh, who supports spinal injury patients; and Rakesh K Sangar, recognised for holding over 2,000 blood donation camps in the city.