There is good news for thousands of UT employees. The entire system for the allotment and management of government housing is set to go digital. Through an upgrade to the ‘eAwas’ portal, almost all services related to government housing will be made available online.
The Chandigarh Administration is working on this project in collaboration with the House Allotment Committee (HAC) and the National Informatics Centre (NIC). Once implemented, employees will no longer need to make rounds of various offices for matters such as housing allotment, retention, transfers, transit accommodation, water and electricity NOCs, waivers on shifting charges, and other approvals. The entire process—from application to approval—will be online, and employees will be able to track the status of their applications in real-time. There are over 5,800 government houses in the city; Chandigarh is often referred to as a city of government employees.
In addition to serving as the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, the city is home to thousands of employees working for the Union Territory Administration, the Punjab and Haryana Secretariats, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and various central institutions.
**Government housing matters to be resolved online**
Under the new system, issues related to the retention and transfer of government housing will also be handled digitally. Files concerning retirement, transfer, or the death of an allottee will be processed online. An e-bidding system will be introduced for transit accommodation, allowing eligible employees to view details of available housing online, submit digital applications, and receive allotment notifications online. This will make the entire process more transparent and time-bound.
One of the biggest hassles when vacating government housing is obtaining water and electricity NOCs. Under the new system, the concerned departments will verify outstanding dues online, and the NOC will be issued via the same digital platform. This will save employees’ time and expedite file processing.
**Apply for shifting charge waivers from home**
Additionally, a facility to apply online for waivers on shifting charges will also be provided. The administration will also digitize the monitoring of unauthorized encroachments, the process of cancelling allotments, the automated movement of files, and record management.
Officials believe that this initiative will make government housing management completely paperless, enhance transparency, and provide faster, simpler, and more convenient services to thousands of government employees in the city.
