30 years on, 25,000 applicants yet to get DDA flats in Rohini

The DDA is not known for timely allotment of flats or houses. But this will surely be one of its worst record. About 25,000 applicants, who cleared the draw of lots for the Rohini Residential Scheme of 1981, have been waiting for their plots since 30 years.

The DDA is not known for timely allotment of flats or houses. But this will surely be one of its worst record. About 25,000 applicants, who cleared the draw of lots for the Rohini Residential Scheme of 1981, have been waiting for their plots since 30 years.

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On a petition filed by an applicant Rahul Gupta, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought a status report from the DDA by April 20 on the steps taken for the allotment. Gupta’s lawyer Mayank Misra argued that the DDA had done nothing despite court orders on the issue on October 21, 2009 and December 16, 2009.

Taking serious note of the delay, the court had on October 21, 2009 restrained DDA from auctioning any plot in Rohini, which it had acquired for its residential scheme 1981. The stay had then been lifted following assurances from the DDA.

On Wednesday, DDA’s lawyer Rajiv Bansal told a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna that the agency had already “carved out” 20,000 plots for allotment. He also claimed that the court had on December 16, 2009 given it time till August 16, 2011 to allot the first 16,000 plots and that the DDA had been given three years to complete the process which ends in December 2012.

But Misra alleged that there has been “no forward movement” yet. He took strong note of the subsequent allotment of land to several cooperative group housing societies for which the DDA had not planned for initially. He said that the agency gave away that land, ignoring the 1981 allottees’ claim.