The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) claims to have learnt lessons from the housing scam 2008. To make sure that the allotment of flats does not get rigged this time, DDA has made some changes in the process of allotting flats under its housing scheme 2010 which will be launched on 25th of this month.
"Checks and balances have been put in place this time. We hope that nothing unlawful happens this time," said Neemo Dhar, spokesperson, DDA.
To minimize chances of corruption, the applicants will have to prove that the money deposited with the DDA is from their own bank accounts. "The idea is to avoid proxy applicants, who created trouble last time," added Dhar.
In 2008 housing scheme, the accused allegedly targeted flats falling in S.C. (15 percent of total) and S.T. categories (5 percent of total) because these flats were available at a concession.
This time, the DDA is not giving any concession to flats in S.C./ S.T. category.
Around 16,000 flats will be offered under the housing scheme- 2010. The flats are located at 17 locations in the capital such as Vasant Kunj, Mukherjee Nagar, Motia Khan, Jasola, and Dwarka.
The cost of the flats ranges between Rs 9 lakh and Rs 1.12 crore.
"In order to reach all sections of the society there is a mix of one bed, two bed, three bed room houses expandable and janta one room houses. This is for the first time that one room tenements located in Narela, Trilokpuri and Shivaji enclave have also been included in the scheme," said Dhar.
Unlike the 2008 scheme, this time, both husband and wife can apply for a flat each. However, if both are named in the draw, only one of them will be allotted a flat.
Also, an applicant getting the flat in the handicapped quota cannot sell his flat.
DDA housing scheme 2008 was marred with controversies because of which the civic agency had to stall allotment for a year after the law of lots was done.
Some property agents in connivance with government officials allegedly purchased flats by submitting fake documents.
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Delhi Police arrested Laxmi Narayan Meena, a former State Bank of India employee as main accused in the fraud along with M.L. Gautam, a retired DDA employee. It is believed that Meena and Gautam together forged around 3, 000 applications.
The scam was unearthed in October 2008 when Dr Udit Raj, president of the Indian Justice Party filed a complaint with the Delhi police saying that the scheme was rigged. The basis of this complaint was information given by Deepak Kumar, a property agent based in West Delhi. Later, the EOW also arrested Kumar as an accused in the case.
"This time also there will be corruption because more or less, the process is the same," said Raj.
