DDA flats lying vacant even though they are ready for possession

Over 2,400 one-room DDA flats in Rohini Sector 4, which were constructed to rehabilitate Motia Khan jhuggi dwellers, have been lying vacant for several months even though they are ready for possession. The issue was raised in the Delhi Development Authority meeting, chaired by newly appointed lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung last month, said a newspaper report.

“The flats need to be allotted to the eligible squatter families as soon as possible. There is no reason for delay. If brokers or property dealers get involved in the issue, there is always a risk that they can take advantage of the situation,” said non-official member Jitender Singh Kochchar.

“In fact, the government should make it mandatory that EWS flats allotted to families cannot be sold for at least 10 years,” added Kochchar.

Under the DDA scheme, 1,770 families who had been living in Motia Khan slums since 1990 or before, were found eligible for the flats. The 6.61-acre land where the slum cluster is located has been earmarked for a hotel and other commercial ventures such as shops, offices, etc.

The report said that the cost of each flat is estimated to be about Rs 1.21 lakh. “DDA had decided that the eligible families willing to bear the cost of the flat would be allotted one at the earliest while those eligible but unwilling for a flat allotment are to be allotted 25 sq metre plot at Dwarka and Narela,” it said.