'DDA office to get more public-friendly'

Getting your leasehold property converted to freehold at the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) office is set to be a smoother affair, claimed the land development agency's new boss. HT reports.

Getting your leasehold property converted to freehold at the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) office is set to be a smoother affair, claimed the land development agency's new boss.

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GS Patnaik, a 1980-batch Indian Administrative Service officer from Uttar Pradesh cadre, took charge as the new vice-chairman of DDA on Monday.

Patnaik, in a press conference, said his first priority will be to upgrade DDA's systems and processes, and make them transparent so that people won't have to keep making trips to get land records or freehold certificates.

"We are planning to constitute special task forces within the DDA for these purposes," he said. "People would be able to make payments online and get online freehold certificates."

"We want to get an ISO certificate for processes such as getting conversion to freehold, which usually get delayed. The system requires an upgrade," Patnaik said.

He said people should get the work done within a definite period of time.

Another priority on Patnaik's agenda is digitisation of all Delhi land records - belonging to DDA, Delhi government or land and development office - on a unified platform.

"At present, land records in Delhi are divided between different stakeholders. The comprehensive digitised records like entitlements, land titles and other records should be available at one place," he said.

According to the new vice-chairman, DDA's next ambitious scheme is to build 42,000 homes for the economically weaker section (EWS).

"EWS housing has not received the priority that it should have," he said.

The agency has already taken up work on 18,600 flats.

On other housing projects, he said that emphasis would be laid on better house designs, and provision of power, sewage and water connections before a flat is handed over to an allottee.

"At present, many buildings have already lost their outer paints by the time their possession is taken," he said.

Patnaik was secretary (home) with the Delhi government before he took his new charge. During his tenure, several legislations, rules and legislative proposals were framed upon and sent to the central government's ministry of home affairs.

He has earlier served as a divisional commissioner in Delhi and has also worked in the Delhi Lieutenant Governor's office.