Chandigarh : GPAs have Won; Administration modifies its earleir order, grants relief

Written by Administrator Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00

All along I had been contesting the version of the Chandigarh that has been sticking to applying Chandigarh(Sale of Sites and Building)Rules 1960, while allowing transfer of the flat/share in the name of the General Power of Attorney holders in cooperative House Building Societies.While applying these rules, chandigarh administration had inflicted the clause of 1/3rd unearned increase  on the GPA holders. This meant payment of lakhs of rupees for afffecting the transfer. My pleas to wo...

All along I had been contesting the version of the Chandigarh that has been sticking to applying Chandigarh(Sale of Sites and Building)Rules 1960, while allowing transfer of the flat/share in the name of the General Power of Attorney holders in cooperative House Building Societies.While applying these rules, chandigarh administration had inflicted the clause of 1/3rd unearned increase  on the GPA holders. This meant payment of lakhs of rupees for afffecting the transfer.

My pleas to work out the transfer fee as per Punjab Cooperative Act 1960 fell on the deaf ears of the administration. The Finance Secretary of the administation was in no mood to relent. An application filed by me under the right to information act revealed that the rules sought to be applied by the Chandigarh Administation stood repealed and needed examination by the law department.

This revelation was highlighted in the media and the issue evoked the sympathetic consideration of the ld. Home Secretary cum Secretary cooperatives of the Chandigarh Administration, who ordered a review of the order in this regard. Registrar Cooperative Societies was asked to submit fresh proposals in this regard. Registrar Cooperative Societies submitted proposals and proposed to levy nominal transfer charges ranging  from Rs. 10,000/- to Rs. 30000/- in constrast to Administration asking from Rs. 3.8 Lakhs to Rs. 4.5 Lakhs earlier.

Based on fresh proposals , chandigarh administration drafted a new policy under which the GPA holders were to pay a fixed amount for affecting transfer of the flat/share in his name. Administration modified its earlier order dated 15.08.008 and notified that under the new policy transfer charges for Cat. A flats would be Rs. 50,000/-, for Cat. B, these would be Rs. 5000/- and for category C, these would be Rs. 15000/-.

There are about 10 Cooperative Societies at Chandigarh and about 15000 families holding occupancy rights on the instrument of the General Power of Attorney stand to benfit.

This has been a Victory of all those who were holding GPA in the societies and my endeavour to get saccour to all these people succeeded. It is pertinent to note that I had repesented for the cause before UPA Chairperson, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Man Mohan singh, Home Minister P. Chidambaram and local MP and Minister of state for finance Pawan Kumar Bansal to all of whom I owe my respect and gratitude.

Satish Chandra Sharma

General Secretary,

Chandigarh Social Welfare Council,

link: http://schandrai.blog.co.in