DDA survey to assess housing demand in Delhi from August 1

DDA officials said that the survey will collect data for both general and EWS categories.

Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will conduct a survey to assess the demand for housing in the national capital. DDA officials say the survey is part of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and will be completed in two months, starting August 1.

A view of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) Flats at Narela in New Delhi. (Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

DDA vice-chairman Tarun Kapoor said, “Will start the survey from August 1. People can fill the forms online. This will help us get a realistic idea about the actual demand for housing, especially among the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category, and accordingly plan our future projects.”

“The ministry has recently directed the DDA to conduct the survey. People can fill the online forms till September 30. People can also apply through our citizen service centres,” said a senior DDA official.

DDA officials said that the survey will collect data for both general and EWS categories. This survey, DDA officials say, will not include the slum clusters. “DUSIB is carrying out a separate survey for slum clusters in the city for in-situ redevelopment,” said the official.

HUA secretary Durga Shankar Mishra had recently held a meeting with all stakeholders to assess the status of EWS housing in the city.

The HUA ministry had asked the Delhi government to complete a survey to identify beneficiaries eligible under a slum rehabilitation scheme and also submit a status report on the already constructed 17,000-odd flats for such people.

“The secretary has directed the Delhi government submit a status report on the already-constructed 17,660 houses and around 16,000 houses under construction,” read a statement issued by the ministry.

The DDA and the Delhi government were directed to start allotting houses to beneficiaries under all verticals of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (urban).

The DDA has close to 50,000 housing units in various stages of construction in Delhi, mostly in Narela. In the recent housing scheme, the land-owning agency has put up 7,700 flats on sale under the EWS category. But it had got a poor response, following which it had to put just 2,600-odd EWS flats on sale. DDA officials say that once they get an assessment of demand for EWS housing, it will be able to plan a scheme for this category.