HIMUDA Board Formally Approves Him-Chandigarh Township at Sheetalpur, Baddi

What was decided

The Board of Directors of the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) approved the proposed Him-Chandigarh Township at Sheetalpur in Baddi, along with several major housing, commercial and policy initiatives aimed at strengthening planned urban development across the state, describing it as an urban centre near the Baddi industrial belt close to the Chandigarh region. The Board approved the initiation of preliminary activities for several key projects, with an initial allocation of Rs 5 crore, including the proposed Him Chandigarh Township at Sheetalpur in Baddi in Solan district, a new township at Morni Hills in Pachhad and another planned development township at Lunj near the Kangra Airport.

This was a decision to fund preliminary/preparatory work — not a final master-plan sanction or construction go-ahead. HIMUDA plans to develop the township in a phased manner with residential, commercial and civic infrastructure, ensuring planned growth and regulated urbanisation.

Who decided it

Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani chaired the Board of Directors meeting of the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority. The meeting was attended by HIMUDA Vice Chairman Yashwant Chhajta, Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta, Principal Secretary Devesh Kumar, CEO and Secretary Surinder Kumar Vashisht, along with non-official members of the Board and senior officials from various departments.

Why HIMUDA cited this site

The township is expected to cater to the growing housing demand generated by industrial expansion in the Baddi-Nalagarh area and increasing migration towards the region for employment.

The Sheetalpur/Shitalpur site had already been the subject of an earlier state Cabinet land decision. Prior Tribune reporting on local opposition to the project noted that the state Cabinet had given its nod to acquire 3,400 bighas of land at Shitalpur near Baddi for setting up a modern city on the lines of New Chandigarh, and that HIMUDA would set up this township after acquiring land, with a drone survey already initiated. The township footprint was described as spread across three patwar circles of Baddi, Sandholi and Bhud, covering both private and government land under the initial proposal.

That acquisition plan drew local pushback: the move to set up Him Chandigarh on the outskirts of Baddi came in for opposition from affected farmers, who took out a protest march and handed over a memorandum opposing acquisition of land they have tilled for generations. Villagers said government land was being acquired first, with private land to follow in a subsequent phase.

Other decisions taken at the same board meeting

• Jathia Devi housing project (Shimla): In the first phase of the Jathia Devi project near Shimla, HIMUDA will develop 919 residential units on 21 bighas of land with an estimated investment of Rs 1,327 crore. The project aims to reduce pressure on Shimla city by shifting residential growth to peripheral areas and generating economic activity in nearby regions.
• Special housing quota: The Board also took a policy decision to reserve a special quota of residential plots and flats for Olympic and Asian Games medalists, Gallantry Award winners and recipients of Children's Bravery Awards.
• Land Pooling, Buy-Back and Redevelopment policies: The Board approved the development of new colonies under a Land Pooling Policy with the consent of landowners, and also cleared a Buy-Back Policy and a Redevelopment Policy to streamline maintenance and redevelopment of government housing and assets.
• Payment discount: The Board introduced a 5 per cent discount on lump-sum payments made within 45 days of allotment letters.
• Ghumarwin commercial complex (Bilaspur): A commercial complex comprising 17 shops, two halls and an Executive Engineer's office will be constructed at a cost of Rs 7.69 crore.
• Kangra colony: In the Shree Jwala Ji Shakti Vihar Colony of Kangra district, the Board sanctioned the development of 130 plots and commercial spaces across 125 kanals of land, estimated at Rs 18.61 crore.

Practical effect: what this decision does and does not mean

What it means: Him-Chandigarh Township now has formal Board-level backing and a preliminary funding line, putting it on the same institutional footing as HIMUDA's other active projects. HIMUDA plans to develop the township in a phased manner with residential, commercial and civic infrastructure.

What it does not mean (yet): The Rs 5 crore is explicitly for preliminary activities and is shared across three separate townships (Sheetalpur/Baddi, Morni Hills/Pachhad, and Lunj/Kangra Airport) — it is not a construction budget for Him-Chandigarh alone. No final master plan, plot rates, RERA registration, or notified project boundary for Him-Chandigarh specifically has been reported as of this decision. Separately, land acquisition at the Shitalpur site has a longer, contested history, with earlier Cabinet clearance for 3,400 bighas and recorded local opposition — investors and residents should treat those as distinct, earlier-stage actions rather than outcomes of this February 2026 Board approval.

Timeline context

This Board approval follows earlier state-level moves on the same site. Reporting on local protests referenced a Cabinet decision to acquire 3,400 bighas of land at Shitalpur near Baddi and noted a drone survey already under way — indicating that land-related groundwork at Shitalpur predates the formal HIMUDA Board approval of the township concept on 9 February 2026. Separately, some property-marketing coverage in the weeks before the Board meeting referred to the project already as a planned world class township at Shitalpur in the Baddi region of Solan district attributed to the Chief Minister — that framing should be read as promotional/anticipatory coverage rather than a formal notification, since the only confirmed Board-level action found is the 9 February 2026 preliminary approval.