In a major boost to its finances, Chandigarh MC has received approval from UT Administration to auction 7 acres of land in Manimajra for a residential project. The civic body anticipates earning over ₹400 crore.
Chandigarh, May 16: In a significant financial breakthrough, the cash-strapped Municipal Corporation (MC) of Chandigarh has received a green signal from the UT Administration to auction a 7-acre land parcel in Manimajra for a residential project. The land, located in Pocket 6 near Panchkula, will be auctioned on a freehold basis, with the civic body expecting to generate over ₹400 crore from the deal.
Confirming the development, MC Commissioner Amit Kumar stated that the civic body has received official communication from the Administration and is currently seeking clarifications on a few issues before initiating the auction process.
“We have sought some clarification on certain issues. The auction process will begin after we receive the clarifications,” he said.
Mayor’s Efforts Pay Off
MC Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla, who had been persistently advocating for the auction, played a pivotal role in securing the permission. She had recently discussed the matter with UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, pressing the urgency of the auction to ease the MC’s financial burden.
According to official sources, the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning has already given the nod to the zoning plan of the site, aligning it with the Chandigarh Master Plan.
Not the First Time for Manimajra
This is not the first land auction of its kind in Manimajra. Back in 2005, the MC had auctioned a 5.39-acre residential site to Delhi-based Uppal Housing for ₹108 crore, which later developed over 160 residential flats. The project received an excellent response from homebuyers, indicating a promising outlook for the upcoming auction.
In 2006, the civic body also sold a hotel site in Sector 35 on a leasehold basis, fetching ₹101.37 crore.
Financial Lifeline for MC
Mayor Babla expressed optimism that the auction would provide the much-needed financial relief to the MC, which is currently grappling with one of the worst financial crises in its history. She emphasized that the civic body has no funds for ongoing or new development works.
“The auction will help us overcome our current financial crisis. We are also hopeful to receive our rightful share from the Registration and Licensing Authority (RLA), especially from vehicle registration revenues,” said Babla.
She added that she had formally requested the Administration to allocate at least 50% of the road tax revenue collected by the RLA towards maintaining city roads and parking infrastructure. As per the Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, extended to Chandigarh, the MC is entitled to a share in such revenue collections.
The Mayor also revealed that the UT Administrator has assured a grant of ₹238 crore to the Municipal Corporation to support essential civic services and development works.
What’s Next?
With the zoning plan already approved and administrative permissions in place, the MC is gearing up to launch the auction once all pending clarifications are addressed. The move is being seen as a timely intervention to restore the financial health of the civic body and boost housing infrastructure in Manimajra.