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18,000 forms sold on Day 1 of DDA scheme

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Indian Express        26.11.2010

18,000 forms sold on Day 1 of DDA scheme

Mandakini Gahlot Tags : Delhi Development Authority, housing scheme 2010 Posted: Fri Nov 26 2010, 02:08 hrs

New Delhi:  The Delhi Development Authority’s housing scheme 2010 kicked off on Thursday with the sale of application forms at various banks across the Capital. Despite forms being sold at banks in nearly every Delhi neighborhood, a lot of aspirants made their way to DDA’s headquarters Vikas Sadan at INA to buy the form priced at Rs 105.

The two banks at Vikas Sadan — the State Bank of India and the Central Bank of India — estimated that they sold a total of 18,000 forms by the close of operations on Day 1. The DDA is yet to receive official estimates, but senior officials in the Authority’s housing department are putting the total sale of forms, including those downloaded from the DDA website, at “nearly 1 lakh forms”.

The scheme will see the DDA allot 15,574 houses in the one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom and expandable flats category through a draw of lots. In addition, the DDA will also allot 699 one-bedroom flats in the Janta category for the economically weaker sections. With over 16,000 houses up for grabs, this is the authority’s largest housing scheme in over two decades and is expected to draw nearly 10 lakh applicants.

On Day 1, the usual confusion prevailed among the hopefuls. Among DDA’s primary conditions for those applying for houses is a stipulation that anyone who already owns a DDA house in the Capital is ineligible for the draw and further risks losing his registration amount of Rs 1.5 lakh. Afroz Alam (45) was unaware of the fact. “I have never heard of this rule. Yes, I jointly own a DDA property with my wife, a one-bedroom flats in Inderlok, but it is now too small for my family of four and both my wife and I will apply in this scheme in the hope that we are allotted a larger space,” he said.

Meanwhile, banks are busy drafting policies for a short-term loan of Rs 1.5 lakh — the mandatory registration amount to be submitted along with the application forms. “Last time around we charged around Rs 5,000 for this loan, but this time the rate of interest has dropped and we will probably make this loan available at an interest of Rs 4,500 or so. It is still being finalised,” a senior official at the State Bank of India’s Vikas Sadan Branch explained. With over 10 lakh applications expected to be registered, the banks are certain that at least 70 per cent of the applicants will want a loan for the registration amount and they are eager to cater to this market.

Last Updated on Friday, 26 November 2010 10:30