CHANDIGARH, Oct. 11 -- Punjab's long-delayed economically weaker sections (EWS) housing project remains stuck in a bureaucratic maze, with the housing and urban development department yet to appoint a transaction adviser six months after it floated a request for proposal (RFP) for planning and structuring the ambitious affordable-housing initiative.

The department has now issued another corrigendum to the RFP, with bids scheduled to be opened within a week. The delay means the process will effectively have to start afresh, raising questions over whether the project can move beyond the planning stage before the model code of conduct for the upcoming assembly elections comes into force early next year.

The department is yet to finalise ke...