DDA housing scheme likely to be launched next month

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 18

The new housing scheme of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which is being delayed, is likely to be launched in February.

Under the new scheme, the DDA will offer 12,000 flats. It was delayed due to lack of basic infrastructure in a few pockets falling under the scheme, sources said.

The scheme was earlier expected to be launched around January 26.

The sources said that the DDA had a target to launch the scheme in January, but the infrastructure could not be developed in some places where these flats are located.

"Certain pockets of areas falling under the scheme lack basic infrastructure around flats like link roads, streetlights, and so we will address these issues. The new scheme should be out sometime in February. Out of the total number of flats, most of them are in Rohini, Dwarka, Narela, Vasant Kunj and Jasola. 10,000 unoccupied flats are from the 2014 scheme while 2,000 are other flats which have been lying vacant," a senior DDA official said.

Mostly there are a one-bedroom LIG flats from the last housing scheme and no new flat is on offer this time.

"About 10,000 are LIG flats from 2014 DDA scheme. Unlike EWS (Economically Weaker Section) last time, in this scheme there would be no such category. For LIG category, the registration fee would be Rs 1 lakh while for MIG and HIG, it would be Rs 2 lakh," the official said.

"Application forms would be available both online and off line," he said.

From application to refund, the DDA has planned to make the scheme an online affair to reduce the long queues of buyers at its headquarters.

"A big number of citizens still do not have access to technology or are not tech-savvy. So, we decided to keep both the options," he added.

Scheme 2014 offered 25,040 flats across categories, with prices ranging between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 1.2 crore.

The online response was so massive that DDA's official website had crashed soon after the launch. The one-bedroom flats were offered in Dwarka, Rohini, Narela and Siraspur areas.