No takers for 212 properties, Chandigarh Housing Board cancels e-auction

A senior officer of the board while speaking to Newsline said, “We gave a month’s time but no one has got themselves registered. This is a matter of discussion whether the rates of the properties fixed need to be lowered before starting the next registration.”

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Chairman of the Property Consultants Association, Kamaljit Singh Pancchi, said that the rates were high and commercial sites were on a leasehold basis, which discouraged people from buying the properties. (File)

In an embarrassment for the Chandigarh Housing Board, not a single person turned up for the registration for any of the 212 properties in the e-auction conducted by the Chandigarh Housing Board. The auction was supposed to take place on December 23 and 24, which now stands cancelled. The registration for the e-auction, which was open for a month, concluded on December 16.

A senior officer of the board while speaking to Newsline said, “We gave a month’s time but no one has got themselves registered. This is a matter of discussion whether the rates of the properties fixed need to be lowered before starting the next registration.”

The reserve price of a three-bedroom flat in Chandigarh Housing Board’s Sector 63 had been fixed at Rs 1.07 crore and that of a bay shop in Sector 61 was Rs 4.63 crore. Registration was open for auction of 64 residential sites of which 55 were on a freehold basis and nine were on a leasehold basis. There were 148 commercial sites as well which included bay shops, booths and other service booths. A majority of residential sites that the board had offered for the auction were freehold sites, whereas all commercial sites were on a leasehold basis.

The highest reserve price of the Chandigarh Housing Board’s flats were of the ones located in Sector 63. As many as six three-bedroom flats, in an area of 1417.49 square feet, was fixed at a reserve price of Rs 1,07,26,849.

The two-bedroom flats in Sector 63 had a reserve price of Rs 83.72 lakh. At least 17 such flats, with an area of 1106.32 square feet, were located in Sector 63. A one-bedroom flat in Sector 63 had a reserve price of Rs 54.80 lakh and there were 16 such dwelling units.

As many as five EWS flats in Sector 38 West were also up for auction at a reserve price of Rs 30.29 lakh. At least three EWS units are located at Sector 63 and had a reserve price of Rs 29.15 lakh.

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Two-bedroom flats in Sector 51 had a reserve price of Rs 99.92 lakh, whereas the two-bedroom flats in Sector 49 had a reserve price of Rs 88.63 lakh and the one-room flats were available for Rs 48.98 lakh. Two EWS units in Sector 49 had a reserve price of Rs 32 lakh and Rs 30 lakh.

In commercial sites, a bay shop in Sector 61 had a reserve price of Rs 4.63 crore and similar bay shops in the same belt had reserved prices of Rs 3.05 crore, Rs 2.52 crore and Rs 2.40 crore, respectively. The reserve price of other booths in various other sectors ranged from Rs 37 lakh to Rs 77 lakh.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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