Notice to 4000 Chandigarh house owners: Install solar plant or risk losing your house

Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh confirmed and said, “Over 4,000 notices have been sent to owners of houses 500 square yards and above.”

What does the notice say

“Whereas you are the lessee/transferee/allottee of plot number as mentioned above. As per data received from Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science & Technology Promotion Society (CREST), Chandigarh Administration, it has been noticed that you have not installed solar photo voltaic rooftop power plant which is compulsory requirement as per Rule 4.1 of Chandigarh Building Rules (Urban), 2017 for this category of property.

As this allotment is governed by provisions of Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation Act) 1952 as amended from time to time, hence rules made there under i.e. CBR(U), 2017, Chandigarh Estate Rules, 2007 and so on are applicable to you. Hence, you have breached the terms and condition of sale/lease provisions and building bylaws,” the notice says.

According to the Chandigarh administration, the requirement of ‘Solar Photo Voltaic Rooftop Powe Plant as per Rule 4.1 of Chandigarh Building Rules (Urban), 2017 says that One Kanal house is to have plant of 1 KWp, two kanal house to have a 2 KWp capacity plant, Above Two Kanal, a 3 KWP plant.

The notice sent by Assistant Estate Officer says, “Now, therefore, the undersigned by virtue of the powers conferred upon me under Section 8A Capital of Punjab(Development and Regulation) Act, 1952, I, hereby, direct the allottees/less /transferees and the occupier of the site to install the rooftop solar photo voltaic power plant: submit compliance to this office.

In case of non-receipt of confirmation of compliance within 2 months, the proceedings shall be initiated against you under Section 8A of the Capital of Punjab (Development & Regulation) 1952 read with Rule 10 &14 of the Chandigarh Estate Rules, 2007 as amended from time to time to time for resumption/cancellation of the site for violation of provisions of Chandigarh Estate Rules, 2007 Chandigarh Building Rules (Urban), 2017.”

How many have installed

According to officials of Chandigarh Administration, as many as 1,867 house owners have installed the solar power plants at their residence while over 4,500 are yet to do it.
Earlier, the administration had made it mandatory for houses above 500 square yards to install solar plants. Now, it has been revised to 250 square yards, that is owners of houses 250 square yards and above need to mandatorily install these plants.

It was after the UT Adviser had asked to lower the criteria of size of house for mandatory installation from 500 to 250 square yards that this decision was revised. The notices for 250 square yards and above category shall also be sent.