Vacant municipal properties in Chandigarh to be used in PPP projects

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation is now preparing to give its vacant properties in the city to a Public Private Partnership (PPP) based project. The municipal body will be appointing a consultant to oversee this handover. Once appointed, this consultant will survey the corporation’s vacant properties and submit a report to the body. Based on the report, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation will then decide what sort of projects can be implemented at various properties via the PPP model. Earlier, the Municipal Corporation attempted to auction its vacant properties, but this fell through owing to high market rates
as well as various properties being given on leasehold. The corporation had sought permission from the UT Administration to give such properties to the PPP projects on a freehold basis, but it has yet to receive permissions or further directions. All these properties of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation are worth crores, but despite repeated tenders, they have not been auctioned. The corporation has incurred huge losses because of the failed auctions and has not made fresh attempts at auctioning off these properties recently. The corporation now hopes that most if not all these properties will be properly utilised under the PPP model.