Chandigarh: Chandigarh’s chronic shortage of govt housing is set for a major expansion, with the House Allotment Committee (HAC) clearing 1,840 new houses in Sectors 25 and 43 for govt employees. The bulk of the new stock—1,720 houses—will come up in Sector 43, while another 120 have been cleared for Sector 25.UT approves 1,840 govt houses in sectors 25, 43Chandigarh: Chandigarh’s chronic shortage of government housing is set for a resolution. The House Allotment Committee (HAC) has cleared 1,840 new houses for government employees in Sectors 25 and 43, paving the way for a major expansion.The bulk of the new stock — 1,720 houses — will come up in Sector 43, while another 120 have been cleared for Sector 25.The HAC has approved the layout and design prepared by the UT urban planning department for 1,096 Type-II and 624 Type-III government houses in Sector 43, taking the approved housing stock under the project to 1,720 units.The engineering department will decide the phasing of the project depending on budget availability and ensure that the layout is implemented in accordance with guidelines issued by the Centre and Chandigarh administration.The move comes against the backdrop of a persistent shortage of government accommodation, particularly for B- and C-category employees, who often face long waits for allotment.In Sector 25, the HAC has recommended the construction of 120 government houses on land that the administration has already reclaimed after removing an illegal colony. The committee considered three options and chose Option I, involving 120 houses, instead of Option III, which proposed 228 houses.The committee cited public interest and the possibility that employees could be reluctant to occupy the larger project because the rear side of the houses under that layout would open towards the cremation ground.The Sector 25 project enables the administration to convert reclaimed land into formal government housing rather than leave it underutilised.124 Sector 20 houses to make way for new unitsThe housing expansion will also involve reclaiming land from obsolete government housing. In Sector 20, 124 government houses have been declared unsafe and are proposed to be demolished and replaced with new Type-II and Type-III accommodation.The old structures are falling apart, with even trees growing over some of the buildings. The abandoned premises have become a concern for residents, who claim that they have become a haven for anti-social elements.“Together, the projects mark a two-pronged approach: using reclaimed land for new government housing while replacing old, unsafe housing stock with new accommodation, potentially putting sizeable stretches of government land back to productive use,” said a senior UT official.