The Times of India       10.09.2014 

DDA makes man fight for 24 years for a flat

A 24-year-long legal battle for possession of a flat under a Delhi Development Authority scheme! Quite a long wait.

The DDA will now cough up Rs.2 lakh in compensation as directed by the consumer forum on a complaint made by a Noida resident.

Complainant R. K. Bhilwaria had a horrendous experience when he was forced by the DDA to wait for the flat allotted to him under a 1989 housing scheme on one pretext or the other or on some hollow promises.

Mr. Bhilwaria had registered for allotment of a flat with the DDA in a scheme called Ambedkar Awas Yojna launched in 1989 for priority allotments to SC/ST registrants under the Middle Income Group, Lower Income Group and Janta categories.

He had applied for an MIG flat and paid a sum of Rs.12,200 towards registration charges. In 1996-97, in a draw of lots, he was allotted a flat. The DDA, however, failed to hand over the flat for the next nine years. Mr. Bhilwaria then approached the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Parliament Committee, Director Public Grievances and Cabinet Secretariat.

He was informed that he would be allotted a flat in Narela and an allotment letter was issued.

Thereafter, he deposited Rs.6.88 lakh towards the cost of the flat and another Rs.55,000 towards stamp duty. Vide a letter dated April 13, 2006, the DDA asked the complainant to take physical possession of the flat thus allotted but the same was not handed over to him on one pretext or the other.

As if that was not enough, in June 2006, he was informed that the flat in question has already been handed over to Delhi Police. The complainant, once again, approached agencies including Public Grievances Cell, Cabinet Secretariat to redress his grievance. Finally, another MIG flat was allotted to him in Narela by way of draw of lots held on September 13, 2006.