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DDA to review ‘pay for preferred flat’ scheme
New Delhi: New Delhi: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is going to review its recently announced plan to allow applicants to select the location of their flat
New Delhi: New Delhi: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is going to review its recently announced plan to allow applicants to select the location of their flat on payment of Preferential Location Charges (PLC). The matter was discussed in the recent on October 9 authority meeting in which BJP and AAP MLAs, who are members of the DDA, raised concerns about the scheme, said a senior DDA official.
The DDA is headed by the Lieutenant Governor.
DDA vice-chairman Anurag Jain said, “The matter was raised in the meeting. We will hold a meeting with the two representatives and review it.”
The land-owning agency, for the first time, had come out with the scheme to ensure better response to its housing schemes. As per the plan, an applicant can give his/her preference of the location (floor level, corner house, facing the green area, etc) by paying an additional charge of between 1.5-3% of the total cost of the house, if he/she is successful in the draw of lots conducted by the DDA for the housing scheme.
The DDA had approved a PLC of 3% of the total cost of the flat for ground floor, 2.5% for flats facing green areas, 2.5% for flats on the first floor, 2% for corner flats and 1.5% for second floor flats. An applicant can opt for multiple preferences and will have to pay accordingly, said a DDA official aware of the development. For instance, for a first floor flat facing green area, an allottee will have to pay 5% of the total cost of the house as PLC.
BJP MLA and DDA member Vijender Gupta, who raised the matter in the recent authority meeting, said, “The maximum a person has to pay is 3% to book a location of his/her preference. This way a lot of people would apply and draw of lots have to be held. Moreover, those who can’t afford to pay PLC will be deprived of an opportunity to own a flat on the ground or first floor, or a corner flat. There is a need to review the scheme. I had asked for a committee to be formed to review it.”
AAP MLA and DDA member Somnath Bharti said the DDA’s mandate is to provide “affordable housing”. “DDA is supposed to provide affordable flats. Unlike private builders, it is not in for making profits. Moreover, on one hand we are trying to lower the rates of flats to dispose them of, and on the other hand we are trying to increase the prices by allowing PLC. We have to evaluate the scheme,” said Bharti.
The decision to allow PLC was taken in the authority meeting chaired by Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal last month.
Currently, the DDA has close to 10,000-15,000 vacant flats and close to 40,000 flats in various stages of construction. The agency has flats either ready or nearing completion in Dwarka, Jasola Vihar and Narela. In the next housing scheme, DDA plans to offer 400 MIG in Jasola Vihar and 200 HIG flats Dwarka.
While DDA officials say that this is to help applicants, Sabyasachi Das, former planning commissioner with DDA, said, “DDA’s mandate is not to make profit but to provide affordable housing to people. By allowing people to select the location by paying PLC, they are denying opportunities to those who don’t have money to pay such charges. Under the previous allotment, all applicants had equal opportunity to get a first or a ground floor.”
