The warning comes ahead of Union Home minister Amit Shah’s visit to the city on Sunday, with affected families seeking urgent intervention. Families affected by restrictions on the share-wise sale of jointly owned residential properties in Chandigarh have threatened to boycott Municipal Corporation (MC) elections if the UT administration fails to clarify its legal position and resolve the issue.
The majority of the affected persons are senior or super senior citizens who have invested their lifetime savings in shared residential properties but are unable to access their rightful share of the property’s value at a stage of life when they need it most for medical treatment, care and day-to-day living. It also pointed out that the restrictions could have a significant adverse impact on the administration’s potential stamp duty revenue. He claimed the restrictions imposed by the UT administration, reportedly following emails from certain senior legal counsels, as an overreaction that had caused prolonged financial hardship to residents. The association has appealed to the UT administration, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and elected representatives to intervene urgently, clarify the legal position and put in place a fair, transparent and legally sustainable mechanism for share-wise property transactions, with priority to the cases of senior and super senior citizens.
The association stated that about 10,000 property shares had already been sold in Chandigarh over the years.
Tushar, one of the speakers at the press conference, said all available legal remedies had been exhausted and families would now take to the streets to press for their rights. “If the UT administration does not clear its legal stand on the matter, families will boycott the MC elections,” he said, urging the authorities to take an early decision. The association said prolonged uncertainty and helplessness had caused immense mental distress, with every year of delay further affecting their financial security and dignity. Tushar said Chandigarh’s architectural character had been protected through scrutiny and approval of building plans.
