Indian Express 15.12.2010
DDA unveils apartment exchange plan
Mandakini Gahlot Tags : Delhi Development Authority apartment exchange scheme, DDA policy, Cooperative Grouping Housing Scheme exchange flats Posted: Wed Dec 15 2010, 01:59 hrs
New Delhi: Every year, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) gets inundated with requests from residents of the Cooperative Grouping Housing Scheme (CGHS), who want to exchange their flats for various reasons.“The requests usually come from the elderly or persons suffering from ill-health, who prefer to reside on the ground floor. In most cases, the applicants would have already found someone in the society who is willing to exchange flats,” a DDA official explained. But as the Authority did not have a policy in place to process such requests, they were either handled on an individual basis or ignored.
The Authority has now introduced a new policy that would permit multiple and triangular (mutual exchange of flats amongst three residents) exchange within the same colony. According to the policy, if triangular or multiple exchange of flats takes place in the same category within one year of the draw of lots, the flatholder as well as the applicant would have to pay a sum of Rs 15,000. “Similarly if the exchange takes place after a year of the draw of lots, the parties would have to pay a sum of Rs 25,000 for the exchange to be processed.”
The onus of arranging for a mutual exchange lies completely on the applicant, and the DDA would not play any role in that process. In the event of an exchange of a lower category flat for a higher category flat within a year of the draw of lots, the flat owner and the applicant would have to pay Rs 35,000. The amount would go up to Rs 45,000 if the exchange takes place after the completion of a year. However, the DDA policy insists that only original allottees can indulge in flat exchanges.
Among other things, applicants would be required to furnish a no-objection certificate from the society to ensure that third-party members do not have any problem with the exchange. The authority will not permit a second exchange of flats.
While mutual exchange of flats already exists in non-CGHS DDA societies, this is the first policy aimed at regularising such arrangements. “In DDA societies, where there are free-hold flats, the DDA does not get too involved in the exchange process. However, with CGHS houses, the official status of the house owner is that of a long-term lessee and, therefore, there is a need for a more organised system to regulate exchanges,” the DDA official said.
