Chandigarh: Facing a growing mismatch between demand for govt accommodation and available housing stock, the Chandigarh administration has decided to upgrade more than 100 vacant lower-category houses so they can be allotted to employees waiting for accommodation in higher-demand categories.The proposal, cleared by the house allotment committee (HAC), has been sent to the UT urban planning department. Officials said the move is intended to bring unused houses back into circulation and provide relief in categories where waiting periods have become particularly long.The need for the exercise emerged from a ground survey of govt housing, which found a significant imbalance between available units and demand across categories. The shortage is most acute in Types 10, 11 and 12, with Group C employees facing some of the longest waits for allotment.Officials said many Category 13 houses have remained vacant after regular recruitment of Class IV employees was discontinued over a decade ago.“Many of the earlier appointed Class IV employees have since retired. The houses they occupied are now vacant, but their smaller covered area means they cannot be allotted to employees in other categories,” a UT official said.To address the issue, the administration has proposed upgrading Category 13 houses to higher categories, making them eligible for allotment to employees currently on waiting lists.“There is a very long waiting period in some categories, particularly among Group C employees. Though around 40% of the existing govt housing stock is meant for Group B and C employees, it remains inadequate compared to demand,” the official said.The government housing pool caters not only to UT employees but also to officials of Punjab and Haryana and members of the judiciary posted in Chandigarh.At the same time, the administration is planning a major expansion of its housing stock. More than 700 new govt houses are proposed in Sectors 25 and 43. Around 250 units can come up on reclaimed land in Sector 25, while the immediate plan for Sector 43 is about 500 units, against an overall potential of nearly 2,000 houses.The projects will be developed in phases, with construction of the first phase expected to begin in the next financial year. Most of the proposed units are likely to be two-bedroom houses, with the final category mix to be determined by demand.The new housing stock will be in addition to around 150 units planned for UT Police personnel.Chandigarh currently has around 13,800 govt houses under the UT engineering department. Of these, nearly 11,900 are General Pool Accommodation units, while around 1,900 belong to other housing pools.
