Chandigarh, November 5, 2026: The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has backed a package of proposed relief measures for small-flat and affordable-rental-housing residents, including an approximately ₹20-crore one-time interest waiver, reduced licence fees for eligible households and a limited reopening of its general power of attorney (GPA) transfer policy. The decisions were taken at the board’s 435th meeting on November 3, chaired by UT Chief Secretary and CHB chairman H Rajesh Prasad.
The key qualification: these are board-approved recommendations and decisions awaiting the Chandigarh Administrator’s approval before taking effect. Residents should not treat the interest waiver, fee reduction or GPA window as operational until CHB issues the final order and application instructions. Details were reported in the November 3 account of the CHB meeting statement and independently by Hindustan Times and The Tribune.
What the ₹20-crore interest-waiver proposal covers
CHB recommended a one-time waiver of accumulated interest for licence holders under the Small Flats Scheme-2006 and the Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) scheme. The board’s announcement estimated that about 14,000 allottees and their families could be covered. The Tribune, citing board documents, placed the proposed waiver at about ₹20.8 crore. Both figures are approximate; they are not individual entitlements.
Importantly, the proposal does not waive all outstanding payments. Eligible licence holders would still have to clear dues outstanding as of October 31, 2026, excluding any interest ultimately waived under the approved scheme. The proposed deadline is October 31, 2027, or the end of the licence term if earlier. Payment could be made in one instalment or multiple instalments, subject to the eventual rules.
Reports say the proposal also includes cases where licences were cancelled for non-payment. However, whether any particular cancelled licence can be restored, and on what terms, must be confirmed from the final notification rather than inferred from the board discussion.
Affordable rental housing: who may qualify for lower monthly fees?
CHB also backed rationalising licence fees under the ARHC scheme, which includes households shifted from prefabricated shelters in Sectors 52 and 56. Around 1,997 flats are involved in the scheme, according to The Tribune. Hindustan Times reported that ARHC residents were charged ₹3,000 per month compared with ₹800 under the older small-flats arrangement.
The proposed reduction is targeted, not universal. Reporting on the board decision identifies eligibility categories including families with gross annual income below ₹1.5 lakh, priority-household ration-card holders, persons with disabilities, destitute residents and widows. The final order will need to clarify documentary requirements and how the reduced rate is applied. It would be inaccurate to say that every ARHC occupant will automatically receive an ₹800 licence fee.
Six-month GPA transfer window proposed
A separate part of the package would reopen the CHB’s 2016 general power of attorney transfer policy for six months, with modifications. The board’s statement describes it as a one-time exception, restricted to GPAs executed before October 11, 2011, the cut-off associated with the Supreme Court’s Suraj Lamp judgment.
For affected property holders, a time-limited transfer route could help address long-standing documentation and ownership-record difficulties. It is not a blanket authorisation for all GPA-based property transactions, and the board’s recommendation does not override applicable registration requirements. Applicants should await the published policy text, eligibility criteria, charges and commencement date.
Why this matters for Chandigarh’s housing economy
The measures address two different issues. For low-income rehabilitation households, accumulated interest and licence fees can make continued occupancy difficult. For certain older CHB property transactions, a limited transfer route may help residents resolve paperwork and reduce uncertainty. Both matters affect household finances and local property administration, even though the proposals do not represent new construction or an increase in the number of homes.
The Tribune’s November 5 report says board documents indicated substantial outstanding dues under the two housing schemes, including interest. Those figures describe liabilities recorded in the documents, not money already recovered or waived. Any fiscal impact on CHB will depend on how many households qualify, pay the remaining dues and complete the process.
What has been decided and what remains pending?
Confirmed: CHB’s board considered and supported a one-time interest-relief proposal, targeted ARHC fee rationalisation and a six-month modified GPA transfer window at its 435th meeting. Not yet confirmed: the Chandigarh Administrator’s final approval, the effective date, application forms, exact beneficiary eligibility, or actual waiver credits. Hindustan Times specifically reported that the board’s decisions require the Administrator’s approval to come into effect.
Residents should follow the official Chandigarh Housing Board website for orders, notices and any payment or application process. Until then, normal obligations should not be assumed to have changed. CHB’s existing public notices and allottee services remain available through its website.
Sources and image note
- The News Gateway, November 3, 2026, account of the CHB meeting announcement.
- Hindustan Times, November 4, 2026.
- The Tribune, November 5, 2026.
- Chandigarh Housing Board official website for eventual notifications and allottee instructions.
Featured photograph shows Sector 17, Chandigarh, for geographical context only. It does not depict the CHB meeting or affected housing. Photo by Owais Khursheed, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; no editorial alteration to the original image.
