After receiving permission to proceed with the Atal Apartments plan, Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) officials are gearing up to float tenders to start construction work on these flats at Karnail singh Nagar, Pakhowal Road.
The process of issuing letters to successful applicants will be initiated. Officials feel that since it has been a long time since cost estimate of the project was prepared, there are chances of the cost having risen.
Ludhiana Improvement Trust had conducted draw of lots for flats to be constructed under the Atal Apartments scheme on June 16, 2023 at Nehru Sidhant Kendra. The draw was organised for 336 HIG and 240 MIG flats. Residents whose names were declared in the draw were waiting for approval from the local bodies department.
In the MIG category, 89 flats are yet to be allocated. Officials said that they would organise draw of lots for these flats as well. The cost of one MIG flat is Rs 37 lakh while HIG would cost around Rs 48 lakh.
Selected applicants will have to clear payment in five instalments. The contractor will get three years for construction of the flats, after which possession will be given.
The flats will be constructed on 8.8 acres of land at Pakhowal Road. It will have swimming pool, gymnasium, small commercial center and parking facility. An LIT official said that they were checking the estimates again because GST at some of the heads had increased. He said that they were trying to keep the project within the budget so that people did not suffer.
Saying that they were checking documents of allottees again, he informed that there were a few cases of double allotments, which would be cancelled. He said that draw for at least 200 flats would be conducted again. As for tenders, he said they will be floated in the next two months.
The Atal Apartments scheme has been in limbo since 2008. The foundation stone for this project was laid twice. In 2011 it was laid by then local bodies minister Tikshan Sood and on December 16, 2021 CM Charanjit Singh Channi laid the foundation stone again.
The project has remained in the news because even after conducting draw, the department had to cancel the project when applicants did not make payment.
