Chandigarh: Owners of more than 80 commercial properties in Chandigarh’s Sector 17 have been trapped in a 20-year regulatory deadlock as the estate office fails to decide on building violations and pending revised building plans.The impasse stems from amended Architectural Controls introduced in 1981. Although these properties were originally constructed, granted sewerage connections, and given completion and occupancy certificates under pre-1981 rules, owners face show-cause notices demanding composition fees for alleged extra floors whenever they submit revised plans.Instead of approving or rejecting these revised applications, the estate office has kept appeals pending before the assistant estate officer for 15 to 20 years, repeatedly granting adjournments.The prolonged delay prevents owners from modifying, leasing, or selling their properties. Prospective commercial tenants like banks and jewellery showrooms require structural alterations—such as strong rooms or additional staircases—that cannot proceed without approved revised plans. In several instances, banks dropped lease deals after discovering pending estate office disputes.Hopes were briefly raised in March 2005 when a meeting chaired by the then finance secretary and chief administrator decided that composition fees were not justified for buildings constructed prior to the 1981 rule. However, cases were repeatedly referred back for internal clarifications, and the UT administration later withdrew the 2005 order.Commenting on the long-standing dispute, one owner stated, “All we are getting are postponements of proceedings. It is date after date for the last 15 years. In some cases, it is even much more than this.”Another owner highlighted the total deadlock, saying, “The result is that we cannot properly rent out the property, sell it or even make the changes required to run our own business.”A UT official said, “Directions have been issued to authorities concerned to take a final decision in the matter as per rules and law.”
