CHB approves ₹20-crore interest waiver and reopens GPA transfer window for six months

The Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) has approved a one-time waiver of about ₹20 crore in interest and reopened its 2016 General Power of Attorney (GPA) transfer policy for six months, according to reports of the Board's 435th meeting on 3 November 2026.

The meeting was chaired by UT Chief Secretary H Rajesh Prasad, who is also CHB Chairman. The decisions will take effect only after UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria approves them, The Financial World reported.

The interest waiver

The waiver covers around 14,000 licensees under the Small Flats Scheme-2006 and the Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) scheme. This includes licensees whose licences were cancelled for not paying.

The relief has a deadline. Licensees must clear all dues outstanding as on 31 October 2026, in one payment or in instalments, by 31 October 2027 or before their licence term ends, whichever comes first.

GPA transfers reopened

The Board revived the 2016 GPA transfer policy, with changes, as a one-time exception for six months. According to the report, it applies only to GPAs signed before 11 October 2011. That is the cut-off set by the Supreme Court in the Suraj Lamp & Industries case, which held that sales through a GPA or an agreement to sell do not transfer legal ownership.

The Board said the window was reopened because many allottees could not use the policy the first time.

Lower licence fee for some ARHC families

About 2,000 ARHC flats were allotted to families moved from pre-fabricated shelters in Sectors 52 and 56. They were charged ₹3,000 a month, compared with ₹800 for Small Flats Scheme-2006 allottees.

Eligible ARHC families will now pay the Small Flats rate. Eligible households are those with a gross annual income below ₹1.5 lakh from all sources, priority household card holders under the PDS, persons with disabilities, destitutes and widows.

What it means for buyers and occupants

A flat held only on a GPA does not carry clear title in the occupant's name. That makes it hard to sell legally or to use as security for a bank loan. If the Administrator approves the policy, the six-month window gives eligible GPA holders a route to get the flat transferred into their own name.

Anyone buying a CHB flat on resale should check whether the seller holds it through a GPA, and whether the transfer policy applies to that flat. Our guide to documents to check before buying a resale flat covers the basics. This is general information, not legal advice.

What happens next

The minutes have been sent to the Administrator's office. CHB is expected to announce the application process for the GPA window and the waiver once approval is given. We will update this story when it does.

Related: Chandigarh sets 35-day deadline for leasehold-to-freehold conversion.