The project, recently approved by the UT’s chief architect, is likely to be completed in two years.

The housing board wants to develop an integrated township in Sector 63, replete with landscaping and sleekly designed houses, in order to compete with private builders. Board officials have also said these houses will be competitively priced. Since the cost of the whole project is still to be fixed, the houses do not have a price tag yet.

CHB Chairman Mohanjit Singh has said the layout and the finer details of the project are being worked upon, following which the scheme will be launched. Singh said the houses will be allotted through a draw of lots if there are more applicants than dwelling units.

A CHB official explained why the project had got delayed for a while — the UT chief architect took time to decide on the floor area ratio. He finally approved the CHB’s proposal for an increased floor area ratio. The official said, “We wanted a better floor area ratio and more density of buildings in the given land. We have finally got approval of more built-up space. The administration has allowed the construction of ground floors plus three-storeyed buildings.”

Meanwhile, the CHB has also decided to construct around 13,000 housing units under different categories all over the city with the middle classes in mind. Group C and D employees, working at the Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park, will get 160 houses under the “economically weak” category in Bapu Dham Colony in Sector 26 (East).

CHB has also finalised the proposal for constructing 8,448 houses at Dhanas, tenders for which will be floated in February. Construction of 8,896 houses at Maloya-I will start soon after the UT acquires the 167 acres needed for it.

Ninety acres of land in Sectors 53, 54 and 55 have also been set aside for 4,700 houses under different categories, designs of which are already on the drawing board. The CHB will float this scheme shortly.